Prime Minister Narendra Modi, five heads of states and countries, and political leaders from several countries will attend the ninth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar between January 18 and 20, a senior government official said on Friday. More than 20,000 national and international delegates are also expected to take part in the mega business event.

Chief secretary JN Singh said that presidents of Uzbekistan and Rwanda, and Prime Ministers of Denmark, Malta and Ethiopia, will attend the inaugural session of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2019 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on January 18.

"Twenty-one ministers from several other countries will also share the stage with prime minister Narendra Modi, and other heads of state and countries. Prime minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Summit," Singh told reporters.

The top official said that the state heads will be accompanied by large industry and business delegations from their countries.

Though US and UK are not the partner countries this time, as many as 18 countries, including Australia, Denmark, Canada, Japan, France, UAE, and South Africa, among others, are a part of the Summit as partner countries.

"VGS is now an international event and that does not focus on investments only. We have been focusing on trade and exports too as that will give push to investments. We have invited wide galaxy of speakers, motivators, leaders and experts from different sectors who will share their knowledge and experience with different stakeholder to solve different issues," he said. The chief secretary said that CEO of International Finance Corporation, vice president of Asian Development Bank, president of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, are some of the top officials of financial bodies who will be a part of the Summit.

"More than 115 delegations from different countries will be here for the Summit. Over 20,000 delegates and 26,380 companies have already registered for the event," he said further.

The Indian business tycoons who are expected to attend the Summit include Mukesh Ambani, etc.

HEADS OF STATES AND COUNTRIES

• Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev  
• Rwanda President Paul Kagame  
• Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen  
• Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis  
• Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat

PM MODI ON TWO-DAY VISIT

• Ahmedabad: Modi will be on a two-day visit to the state on January 17 and 18, said Chief Secretary JN Singh on Friday.  
• On January 17, Modi would inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show in Gandhinagar, he said. He will also inaugurate the VS Hospital in Ahmedabad.  
• On January 18, Modi will inaugurate the Summit. In the afternoon the prime minister would have one-to-one meetings with some of the heads of states who would be attending the event, Singh said.  
• In the evening, the PM will take part in a Round-table interaction with heads of global sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and institutional investors.  
• On January 19, the PM is scheduled to visit Silvassa in union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where he would lay foundation stone for a medical college.

— PTI