Dutch PM Rutte gifts bicycle to Modi

The Hague (Netherlands): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received an unusual gift – a bicycle – from his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte after the two leaders met here.

A picture shared by Prime Minister Modi on his twitter account shows him sitting and smiling on the Dutch-made bicycle which was gifted to him by Rutte yesterday.

“Thank you @MinPres @markrutte for the bicycle,” Modi tweeted today, soon after his return from the Netherlands where he held wide-ranging talks with the Dutch prime minister.

In the photo, Rutte was also seen standing beside Modi.

Rutte, 50, usually cycles to work.

In the Netherlands, cycling is a way of life. In fact, with 18 million bicycles and just 16 million Dutch inhabitants, there are more bicycles than people, according to the invest in Holland website.

In a special gesture, Rutt had yesterday tweeted in both Hindi and Dutch languages welcoming Modi and said he was keen to meet him at a time when the two countries are celebrating 70 years of the establishment of Indo-Dutch diplomatic relations.

Modi returned to New Delhi this morning after concluding a three-nation tour to Portugal, the US and the Netherlands.