FirstUp: PM Modi visits Saudi Arabia, JD Vance to deliver speech in Jaipur… The headlines today

Several important events are lined up for the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

United States Vice President JD Vance and his family are expected to tour several historic landmarks in Jaipur. Later in the day, he will address an audience at the Rajasthan International Centre.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will present the full World Economic Outlook (WEO) report today.

Kenyan President William Ruto will begin his state visit to China. As part of the trip, he will hold high-level discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Let’s take a look at these events in detail:

PM Modi to visit Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Saudi Arabia today at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the visit, scheduled for April 22-23, will be the Prime Minister’s first to the kingdom in his third term. He had previously visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 and 2019.
PM Modi will hold a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. File Photo/X
This trip comes after the state visit of Mohammed bin Salman to New Delhi in September 2023, where he attended the G20 Summit and co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the India–Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.

India and Saudi Arabia enjoy longstanding friendly relations with a history of socio-cultural and commercial ties.

The two countries, as strategic partners, cooperate closely in key areas such as politics, defence, security, trade, energy, investment, health, education, technology, culture and people-to-people links.

The MEA said that ties have deepened over the past decade, with increased investment, closer defence coordination and regular high-level engagements driving the relationship forward.

The visit will serve as a platform to further improve the broad-based partnership and discuss regional and global issues of shared interest, according to the MEA.

US VP JD Vance to speak in Jaipur

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in India, accompanied by his family, on Monday for a three-day tour.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week that India and the US enjoy a wide-ranging partnership and that “all relevant issues” would be covered during the visit.

However, another focus of the trip is on cultural interactions and tourist excursions in Jaipur and Agra, which is aimed at familiarising Vance’s children with the country their mother Usha, hails from.
JD Vance arrived in India, accompanied by his family, on Monday. X/@MEAIndia
The Vice President and his family touched down in Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, on Monday evening.

Vance is scheduled to visit several heritage locations, including the Unesco-listed Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort today.

Later in the day, Vance will deliver a policy speech at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.

He is expected to speak on broader aspects of India–US relations under the Trump administration. The speech will be attended by diplomats, foreign policy professionals, Indian officials, and academics.

This is Vance’s first visit to India and comes shortly after US President Donald Trump imposed, and then paused, sweeping tariffs affecting around 60 countries, India among them.

New Delhi and Washington are now in talks to finalise a bilateral trade deal aimed at resolving issues such as tariffs and market access.

IMF to unveil latest World Economic Outlook

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to release the complete World Economic Outlook (WEO) report today during a scheduled press briefing.

Published twice a year with interim updates, the WEO provides insights into the global economic outlook and policy recommendations.

It includes short- and medium-term projections and forms a central part of the IMF’s economic monitoring work across its member countries and the global economy.

Today’s briefing will feature key figures from the IMF’s Research Department: Chief Economist and Director Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Deputy Director Petya Koeva-Brooks, and Division Chief Deniz Igan. The session will be moderated by IMF Communications Officer Jose Luis de Haro.

Two chapters from the report have already been made public: “Chapter 2, titled The Rise of the Silver Economy: Global Implications of Population Aging,” and “Chapter 3, Journeys and Junctions: Spillovers from Migration and Refugee Policies”.

Kenyan President to visit China

Kenyan President William Ruto will begin his state visit to China today.

During the trip, Ruto is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and National People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji.

A number of agreements are expected to be signed between the two countries, covering areas such as trade, manufacturing, agriculture, climate action, education, tourism, security, and technology sharing.

Infrastructure financing will be a key focus, including discussions on the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Malaba via Kisumu, and the proposed expansion of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, part of the broader Rironi-Malaba transport corridor.

“We are looking forward to completing our transport grid by 2030. We want to borrow from China’s advancements in green energy and electric mobility,” Ruto said on his plans to increase Kenya’s dependence on solar energy and electric vehicles.

With inputs from agencies