PM Modi congratulates new premier of Ireland

Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (File/Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called up Leo Varadkar to congratulate him on becoming the new premier of Ireland. “Spoke to Ireland’s new Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on phone to congratulate him and reaffirm our commitment for stronger India-Ireland ties,” he tweeted.

Varadkar, Ireland’s first Indian-origin premier, on Wednesday officially took over from Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, as the Irish prime ministerial title is known.

Varadkar is the youngest and the first openly gay prime minister of the Catholic-majority country. His father Ashok, hails from Varad, a village in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.