President Kovind returns to India after concluding 7-day visit to Philippines, Japan

President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday returned to India after the successful completion of his seven-day visit to the Philippines and Japan.

The visit witnessed the President taking part in the enthronement ceremony of newly anointed Japanese Emperor Naruhito and unveiling the bust of Mahatama Gandhi at the Center of peace education at a college in Manila, Philippines.

Kovind had arrived in the Philippines on October 17 on the invitation of his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The five-day visit witnessed him holding both restricted and delegation-level talks with Duterte, as well as participating in business and community events. The visit had come on the occasion marking 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

India and Philippines signed four agreements covering maritime domain, security, tourism, science and technology, and culture. The two countries agreed to deepen defence and maritime security partnership and to make it a key pillar of their bilateral cooperation.

Upon his arrival in Japan on the second leg of the visit, President Kovind visited Tsukiji Hongwanji, a Buddhist temple located in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo, and also planted a sapling of the Bodhi tree from India.

This was the first Presidential visit from India to Japan in the past 19 years.