After Indonesia, Narendra Modi heads to Malaysia: PM to meet newly-elected 92-year-old counterpart Mahathir Mohammad

Jakarta: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left for Malaysia after wrapping up his visit to Indonesia where he held talks with President Joko Widodo to cement the political, economic and strategic interest of the two friendly maritime neighbours.

During his brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur on his way to Singapore, Modi will meet his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad. Ninety-two-year-old Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister on 10 May after leading the opposition alliance to a stunning election victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment.

During his first-ever official visit to Indonesia, Modi held "productive discussions" with President Widodo. The two countries elevated their bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terror. India and Indonesia also signed 15 agreements, including one to boost defence cooperation and called for freedom of navigation in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Modi began his five-day three-nation tour on Tuesday. He will visit Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia through which he aims to boost the Act East Policy and strengthen ties with the ASEAN countries.

With inputs from agencies