PM Modi, Mongolian Prez to jointly inaugurate Lord Buddha's statue at Gandan Monastery tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga will jointly inaugurate the Lord Buddha's statue at Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar on Friday via video-conferencing.

"Symbol of India-Mongolia spiritual partnership and shared Buddhist heritage! PM @narendramodi and President of Mongolia @BattulgaKh to jointly unveil Lord Buddha statue at Gandan Monastery tomorrow via video-conferencing," a tweet from the Prime Minister's Office said.

The scheduled inauguration comes after the Mongolian President arrived here today on a five-day visit to India with an aim to boost bilateral ties.

During the visit, Battulga will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and will hold talks with PM Modi.

Battulga will also participate in an India-Mongolia Business Forum in New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

During his stay, the Mongolian President will visit Agra where he is scheduled to attend an event. He will also be paying a visit to Bodh Gaya before leaving for Karnataka where he will hold talks with Governor Vajubhai Vala and attend a programme on September 23.

Battulga's visit to India is the first state visit by a Mongolian President in the last 10 years, the ministry said, noting the two sides will hold in-depth discussions on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues.

The two countries would review ongoing cooperation in fields of infrastructure, energy, disaster management, defence, security, culture, and capacity building.