Indian PM leaves for Japan to attend G7 Summit

NEW DELHI, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for a three-day visit to Japan to attend G7 Summit, said an official statement issued by the prime minister's office.

"I look forward to exchanging views with the G7 countries and other invited partners on challenges that the world faces and the need to collectively address them. I would also be holding bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the Hiroshima G7 Summit," Modi said in a statement prior to his departure.

After Japan, Modi will also visit Papua New Guinea and Australia, said the statement.

This will be the first-ever visit by any Indian Prime Minister to Papua New Guinea, according to the statement.