President Pranab Mukherjee leaves New Delhi for a two Nation tour to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand this evening. The Minister of State for Agriculture Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan and three Members of Parliament would be accompanying the President for the visit. This is the first ever state visit of an Indian President to these two countries.<br/><br/>Symbolizing the growing strategic and economic engagements with the Pacific Island countries, the President's first stopover will be Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. He would be holding talks with the Governor General Michael Ogio and Prime Minister Peter O'Neil among others.<br/><br/> The President will also interact with the business community and the Indian diaspora. Papua New Guinea is looking towards increasing cooperation in health sector, IT, agriculture and infrastructure. The visit is likely to brighten up the prospects of Indian pharmaceutical companies in the Pacific nation after the local government withdrew a ban three months ago.<br/><br/>In the second leg of his visit, the President would be arriving at Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday. Cooperation between India and New Zealand has been on the rise over the years in various fields. The President will be holding talks with the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the leader of opposition. He would also address the Indian community and a business forum.