New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi made 36 foreign visits during the last five years, with the objective to foster closer relations with foreign countries and promote India's engagements at regional and global level, the Parliament was told on Thursday.

"Such visits are an important means by which India serves its national interest and implements foreign policy objectives. These visits have enhanced understanding of India's perspectives on regional and global issues among foreign partners at the highest level. Understandings reached during these visits have enabled India to strengthen relations with partner countries and put forward India's viewpoint and shape the global agenda on global issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate change, transnational crime, terrorism, cyber-security, etc.," Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The reply also disclosed details of the composition of delegations accompanying the Prime Minister in each of the 36 trips and expenditure incurred on those trips.

According to the reply, the maximum expenditure of Rs 23,27,09,000 was incurred on the Prime Minister's visit to the US from September 21 to 28, 2019. The delegation included nine members including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and NSA Ajit Doval.

As per the reply, the expenditures on account of the Prime Minister's visits to Bangladesh (March 26-27, 2021), the US (September 22-26, 2021), Italy and the UK (October 29 to November 2, 2021) were met from the budget head of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

As per the reply, there was no foreign visit of the PM between November 15, 2019 and March 26, 2021. Many Countries including India were in the grip of Covid 19 pandemic during this period.