London [UK], July 24 : A dance group in London is set to perform Assam's traditional Bihu dance to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing visit to the United Kingdom, with performers expressing pride and excitement over the opportunity.
Madhusmita Borgohain, a member of the dance group, said, "I am from Assam and have been living in the UK for the last 12 years. I cannot express how happy I am to see PM Modi today. Today, we will perform Bihu dance."
Echoing the sentiment, another dancer, Chinu Kishore, said, "... I am from Assam and I have been living in the UK for the last 22 years. I am very excited to see PM Modi in person today and perform Assam's Bihu dance form."
The performance is part of a wider cultural reception being organised by the Indian diaspora to honour PM Modi's visit and highlight India's rich and diverse traditions on the international stage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday in the first leg of his two-nation visit. The visit is expected to strengthen bilateral ties, with the two countries poised to sign a Free Trade Agreement.
In his departure statement, PM Modi had said that India and the UK share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that has witnessed significant progress in recent years.
"Our collaboration spans a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, technology, innovation, defence, education, research, sustainability, health and people-to-people ties," he said.
During the visit, PM Modi will hold discussions with his UK counterpart Keir Starmer. The two leaders will have the opportunity to further enhance the economic partnership, aimed at fostering prosperity, growth and job creation in both countries.
PM Modi will also call on King Charles III during his stay.
This marks the Prime Minister's fourth visit to the United Kingdom since assuming office. He previously visited in 2015 and 2018, and also attended the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021.
Within the last year, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Starmer have met twice, first on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro and more recently in June, in Kananaskis, Canada, during the G7 summit.
The India-UK partnership was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021, and since then, regular high-level political exchanges have taken place, with both sides committed to taking the relationship to even greater heights.
The proposed Free Trade Agreement seeks to eliminate or reduce tariffs on imports and exports between the two nations, aiming to make Indian products more competitive in the UK market and vice versa. Both countries have set a target to boost bilateral trade to USD 120 billion by 2030.
Following his engagements in the UK, Prime Minister Modi will travel to the Maldives in the second leg of his two-nation visit.
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