New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for aweek-long visit to the United States with an aim to boost bilateral ties and present India as “a vibrant land of opportunities”.

The Prime Minister will have a stopover at Germany for a short time span before flying to New York where he will be following a packed schedule of events.

Pakistan had rejected India’s request to allow the use ofits air space for PM Modi’s flight. PM Modi is set to visit the US fromSeptember 21 to 27.

In his departure statement, the Prime Minister provided withthe detailed the itinerary of his visit to the US where he will interact withCEOs of leading energy companies, besides attending a community event inHouston and addressing the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Prime Minister will hold talks with US President DonaldTrump and will review the bilateral relations in order to bring even morebenefits to both countries and its people.

PM Modi will also be honoured with the Global GoalkeepersGoals Award 2019 from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“In Houston, I look forward to my meeting with and addressto the Indian-American community. Their success in diverse fields, theircontribution to the US in various walks of life, their strong bonds with Indiaand their role as a living bridge between our two democracies is a source ofpride for us,” he said in a reference to the “Howdy Modi event”, where Trumpwill also be present.

“It is a matter of great honour for the Indian diaspora andpleasure for me that President of the United States Donald Trump will grace theoccasion with his presence and join me in addressing the community. This wouldbe a maiden appearance of US President in an Indian community event with me,and marks a new milestone in our outreach to them,” PM Modi underlined.

“While in Houston, I will also have the opportunity tointeract with various groups of the Indian-American community and their electedrepresentatives,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi will also be addressing the United Nations GeneralAssembly in New York and meet other world leaders on the margins of the event.

The Prime Minister said he will further highlight India’s“unwavering commitment to multilateralism to advance peace and security andpromote broad-based inclusive economic growth and development in the world,” atthe UN, apart from terrorism and many other pressing issues of the worldeconomy including climate change and poverty.

The theme of this year’s UNGA session is “Galvanising multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climateaction, and inclusion”. The Prime Minister said he will reiterate India’s commitment to reformed multilateralism, which is responsive, effective andinclusive.

The Prime Minister said, “Through my participation in UN events, I will showcase our success in realizing the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals. At the Climate Action Summit on September 23, I will highlight India’srobust action to address climate change in line with global goals and ourinternational commitments.”

PM Modi said he is looking forward to presenting India’s achievements in providing healthcare for the needy through many initiatives,including the Ayushman Bharat programme at the UN event on Universal Health Coverage.

“India will also host at the UN an event to celebrate the150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, which will underline the continuing relevance of Gandhian thoughts and values in today’s world. Several Heads of State and Government along with UN Secretary-General will grace the occasion topay our collective tribute to Gandhiji and underscore the significance of hismessage,” he remarked.

“I will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other countries and UN entities on the margins of the UNGA. For the first time, India will hold leadership-level interactions with the leaders of the Pacific Island States and leaders of the CARICOM group on the margins of UNGA. This will takeforward our vibrant South-South cooperation and partnership with them,” hesaid.

The Prime Minister said he looks forward to meeting Trump twice, in Houston and New York, where the bilateral ties will be reviewed.

“I look forward to meeting President Trump in Houston and New York in a span of a few days. We will review our bilateral relations inorder to bring even more benefits to our two nations and peoples. The US is avital partner for our national development, with rich possibilities ofpartnership in education, skills, research, technology and innovation, and anenabler for India in economic growth and national security,” PM Modi said.

“Shared values, convergent interests and complementary strengths provide the foundation for the natural partnership between theworld’s oldest and largest democracies. Working together, we can contribute to building a more peaceful, stable, secure, sustainable and prosperous world,” hesaid.

PM Modi underlined that the New York leg of his visit willcover important elements of bilateral ties between India and the US.

“I look forward to addressing the opening plenary of the Bloomberg Global Business Forum and inviting American business leaders toparticipate more actively in India’s economic growth and transformation,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said he was honoured by the decision of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to confer the Global Goalkeepers Goals Award 2019 uponhim.

“I am confident that my visit would present India as avibrant land of opportunities, a reliable partner and a global leader, and will also help impart new energy to our relations with the US,” he further said.