Narendra Modi arrives in London for three-day visit, to hold bilateral talks with David Cameron

After bilateral talks, Modi will address a joint press meet at Foreign and Commonwealth...

London

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Thursday on a three-day bilateral visit to the United Kingdom.

He was received at the Heathrow Airport by the Indian High Commissioner to UK Rajan Mathai, UK's High Commissioner to India James Bevan along with several senior officials of the British Government and the military attache of the Indian High Commission.

Reached London. India-UK ties will receive a great impetus. Will attend a wide range of programmes in UK. pic.twitter.com/qWIb3jNFBC

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2015

This is Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Britain since assuming office last year and is also the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the UK in almost a decade.

A tight security blanket has been thrown around the areas where Prime Minister is expected to visit.

Hello London! PM @narendramodi arrives in United Kingdom for 1st bilateral visit by an Indian PM in almost a decade pic.twitter.com/iPcj4sN2wA

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) November 12, 2015

A brief stop to pay tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square will be followed by speeches at the Houses of Parliament and then at the Guildhall in the financial hub of London.

His talks with Cameron will carry on at the British Prime Minister's country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where he is being hosted overnight.

On Friday, Modi returns to London for a CEOs roundtable which is likely to include representatives from major British companies like Rolls-Royce and Vodafone.

The pomp and ceremony attached to the visit is expected to include a special tricolour flypast by the Red Arrows Royal Air Force (RAF) Aerobatic Team over Buckingham Palace before the Prime Minister sits down for lunch with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon. He will then go to Wembley Stadium in north London for the mega diaspora reception.

Thank you @Number10gov. We are very proud of the Indian diaspora in UK. Their role in strengthening India-UK ties is immense.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2015

He leaves for Ankara to attend the G20 summit on Saturday after inaugurating a new statue of 12th century philosopher Basaveshwara as well as a new Ambedkar memorial in London.

A visit to the Tata Motors' owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) factory in Solihull, in the West Midlands region of England, will be the last item on his UK agenda.

-"My visit to UK is the first prime ministerial visit in almost a decade. I have had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister David Cameron at various international forums and our meetings have been productive. Prime Minister Cameron is a good friend of India's, and we in India have had the privilege of welcoming him thrice during his first term as Prime Minister,-" Modi had written in a Facebook post ahead of the visit.