PM attends India’s Republic Day

NEW DELHI, January 26 (TNA) - Visiting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday attended Indian Republic Day’s celebrations here. Yingluck, who has been visiting India since Tuesday, was welcomed by Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil upon her arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan -- the site where the ceremony is held – and was later led to the pavilion. Senior government officers, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, were present and gave them a warm welcome. Both government leaders then received a salute from paraded soldiers while Indian national flag hoisted as the band played the national anthem and cannons fired 21 shots in honour of the event which is being broadcast live nationwide amid tight security. Yingluck said the Indian government had chosen her to attend the annual event in recognition as new generation leader in order to help motivated Indian youths which now total over 70 per cent of the Indian population. Yingluck and her delegates are scheduled to attend a luncheon at the residence of Thai ambassador later and join the dinner party of the India’s Republic Day. She will later depart for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum which is organized from January 25-29. Thailand and India have signed six agreements covering military cooperation, prisoner exchanges, and science and technology cooperation during the prime minister’s official visit. (TNA)