Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Spain, the second country he is visiting as part of his four-nation tour. On Twitter, he said his trip aimed at improving economic and cultural ties with the country. He is the first prime minister since Rajiv Gandhi to visit the country on a standalone visit. Spain’s Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis welcomed him in Madrid.

The Prime Minister Modi had said he would discuss ways to improve bilateral ties in the economic sector as well as ways to collaborate on common international matters including tackling terrorism with his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy. “We seek active participation of Spanish industry in various Indian projects including infrastructure, smart cities, digital economy, renewable energy, defence and tourism,” Modi had said.

The prime minister is also scheduled to meet King Felipe VI of Spain and local business leaders. Modi had said he will encourage Spanish chief executive officers to collaborate with his government’s Make in India programme. “The first meeting of the India-Spain CEOs Forum will be held on the sidelines of my visit,” Modi had said on Facebook. “I look forward to their valuable recommendations for strengthening India-Spain economic partnership.”

Modi’s next stop is on on June 1 in St Petersburg, Russia, where he will participate in the 18th India-Russia annual Summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.