PM embarks on visit to Ireland, US

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today embarked on a visit to Ireland and the US.

In the first leg of his seven-day trip, he will be in Ireland, the first Prime Ministerial visit from India in almost 60 years.

"leaving for Ireland, where I will hold delegation level talks with Mr. Enda Kenny, Taoiseach of Ireland & interact with Indian community," Modi tweeted today.

Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister had said that India hopes to further develop strong people-to-people and economic ties with Ireland in the years to come.

He will also have a brief interaction with the Indian community before leaving for New York in the evening.

In New York, Modi will address a UN Sustainable Development Summit and participate in a Summit on peacekeeping being hosted by US President Barack Obama.

The Prime Minister will also be meeting several world leaders and have interactions with leading investors and financial sector firms. There will be a working dinner where major Fortune-500 companies will be present to deliberate on investment opportunities in India.

He will also travel to West Coast where he will visit Facebook Headquarters for a Townhall Q&A with its CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He will also visit Google campus and Tesla Motors.

In San Jose, he will interact with the Indian community on September 27.

"This visit seeks to build on the substantial ground covered during my last visit to USA and President Obama's visit to India early this year," he had said.

"I am sure my US visit will be fruitful and further deepen the bond between the world's oldest and largest democracies," he said.

Modi said he was going to USA at a "historic moment" when the UN is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

"India attaches great importance to the United Nations. In July, I had written a letter to heads of governments of 193 nations outlining India's vision for UN agenda and reforms. I am glad that leaders of several nations wrote back appreciating our vision," he had said.

This year, India will host a summit of G-4 leaders in New York where the main agenda would be the UNSC reforms.