President Kovind to pay 7-day visit to Philippines, Japan from Oct 17

President Ram Nath Kovind will pay a seven-day-visit to the Philippines and Japan from October 17 with an aim to expand bilateral cooperation with the two Asian countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday.

Kovind will arrive in Philippines on Thursday. The five-day visit would witness the President holding both restricted and delegation-level talks with his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Manila, as well as participating in business and community events.

The President will be visiting the Philippines at the invitation of Duterte, and on the occasion marking 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Kovind will leave for Japan on October 21 to attend the Enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito. During the three-day visit, he will attend a banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and participate in a community event. The President will also visit a Buddhist temple and plant a sapling from the sacred Bodhi Tree in Gaya to highlight India and Japan's historical and cultural linkages based on Buddhism.

The visit to the two countries affirm India's commitment to strengthen its bilateral ties based on traditional bonds of friendship and mutual understanding, the MEA said.