Indian PM leaves for official visits to Brunei, Singapore

NEW DELHI -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday embarked on a three-day official visit to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.

Modi's Brunei visit will be the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian premier. The visit also assumed significance as this year marked the 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

In the second leg of his visit, Modi will travel to Singapore which is scheduled for Sept 4 to 5.

In his departure statement, Modi said the focus of his twin visits would be on further deepening India's ties with the two countries.

"India-Brunei Darussalam diplomatic ties complete 40 glorious years. I look forward to meeting His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah," he stated in a written statement.

"In Singapore, I will hold talks with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. We are eager to further cement ties in key sectors," he further added.