VP to visit Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia from August 17-21: MEA

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a trip to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from August 17-21, the first ever high-level visit from India to the three Baltic countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

The vice president will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Minister of State for HRD, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, MPs P Ranee Narah, Manas Ranjan Bhunia and Ramesh Bidhuri among others, MEA Secretary (West) A Gitesh Sarma said.

He said India had a historical connect and common linguistic roots with the Baltic countries.

"The vice president's visit will be the first ever high-level visit (from India) to the three Baltic countries. The visit takes place in the context of increasing political engagement as well as intensified trade and commercial engagement," Sarma said.

He added that Naidu's visit to the three Baltic nations was to advance India's outreach to the important countries in the region.

"This visit will provide an opportunity to brief the Baltic countries and hear their views on enhanced opportunities for cooperation, thus further strengthening our existing friendly ties," Sarma said.

He said Naidu will be visiting Lithuania from August 17-19, during which he will have a detailed bilateral meeting with President Gitanas Nauseda and will meet Viktoras Pranckietis, Speaker of the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament).

In Latvia, Naidu will have a bilateral meeting with President Eglis Levits and will also meet Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and Inese Libina-Egnere, the Acting Speaker of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament), Sarma said.

The vice president will visit Latvia from August 19-20.

Sarma said Naidu will also attend a business forum co-organised by the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India).

"The Vice President will lay a wreath at the Freedom Monument of Latvia and unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the National Library of Latvia. He will also interact with the Indian community," he added.

The vice president will visit Estonia from August 20-21, where he will meet President Kersti Kaljulaid, Prime Minister Juri Ratas and the President of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament), Henn Polluaas.

As a special privilege, Naidu will also address the Estonian Head of Mission's conference on India's role in the Indo-Pacific region and address an India-Estonia business forum led by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from the Indian side. He will also meet with members of the Indian community in Estonia, Sarma said.

Replying to a question, he said the three countries did not have resident missions as yet.

Responding to another question on the common linguistic links between India and the Baltic countries, Joint Secretary (Central Europe) Anju Kumar told reporters that the language in Lithuania had 10,000 such words, the roots of which emerged from Sanskrit, and that they had published 108 such words.

"The target is to identify all 10,000 such words and translate them," Kumar said.