MODI LEAVES FOR RUSSIA AFTER SUCCESSFUL SPAIN VISIT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for Russia after concluding a "successful" visit to Spain where he paid a courtesy call to Spanish King Felipe VI and held wide-ranging talks with President Mariano Rajoy.

"I thank the government and people of Spain for their remarkable hospitality during my visit, during which significant ground was covered," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

"India-Spain ties are all set to grow and this will benefit the people of both our nations" he said in another tweet.

"Prime Minister Modi wound up a successful visit to Spain, departed for St Petersburg, Russia," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

During his stay here, India and Spain signed seven agreements, including those on cyber security and technical cooperation in civil aviation.

The agreements were signed after Modi held wide-ranging talks with Rajoy at the Moncloa Palace in the Spanish capital.

The two sides agreements on transfer of sentenced persons and visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.

Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Spain since Narashima Rao's trip to the country in 1992.

In the Russian city of St Petersburg, Modi will hold the 18th India-Russia annual Summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum the next day.

The prime minister will be in Paris on June 2 and 3 where he will hold official talks with newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron with a view to further strengthening India-France strategic ties. –PTI