South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in India on Sunday evening for a four-day visit to the country. Moon, who is on his first visit to India since becoming President, will be here till 11 July during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues.

President Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, were received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh.

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“Indispensable partner in our “Act East” strategy!” tweeted Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs.

The South Korean President is accompanied by a delegation of senior members of his cabinet as well as industry captains.

His visit is aimed at further strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

On 9 July, President Moon will attend the India-Korea Business Forum. He will visit the Gandhi Smriti and a Samsung plant in Noida with PM Modi.

He will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 10 July following which the official-level talks will be held in Hyderabad House. The South Korean President will also call on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind the same day.

“India is fast becoming a major power with the fastest growing economy in Asia. It is also a key nation for cooperation under the New Southern Policy that our government is actively pursuing,” a spokesman for the South Korean President had said at a press briefing early this week.

On 21 June, the International Day of Yoga, Moon made a special mention of PM Modi’s efforts to make yoga a global phenomenon.

The 65-year-old South Korean leader recognised India as the home of yoga and said that PM Modi had requested for his participation in the International Day of Yoga.

“Today marks the International Day of Yoga as designated by the United Nations. It is a day of global celebrations for all those who love yoga. I received a letter from Prime Minister Modi of India, the home of yoga, asking me to join in the celebrations. @narendramodi,” said Moon.

Read More: PM Modi thanks South Korean President for latter’s support to International Yoga Day

Underlining the role played by yoga in ensuring that people stay healthy, Moon extended his greetings to both the Indian PM and the people of India.

“I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian people. As a means of seeking harmony between nature and man as well as between body and mind, yoga is widely loved in Korea also,” he wrote.

In response PM Modi thanked Moon for the latter’s support to the International Yoga Day 2018 and expressed hope that yoga will bring peace and happiness in the lives of Koreans adding that he was looking forward to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties with “strategic partner” South Korea.