President Murmu Engages with Portugal Parliament to Strengthen Bilateral Ties
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Synopsis
During her State Visit to Portugal, President Droupadi Murmu met with the President of the Portuguese Parliament, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, discussing ways to enhance India-Portugal relations. Their talks focused on parliamentary exchanges and cooperation in various sectors, marking a significant milestone in their 50-year diplomatic relationship.
Key Takeaways
- President Droupadi Murmu met with Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to discuss bilateral relations.
- Both leaders emphasized regular parliamentary exchanges.
- President Murmu received Lisbon's 'City Key of Honour'.
- They explored collaboration in technology and innovation.
- The year 2023 marks 50 years of India-Portugal relations.
Lisbon, April 8 (NationPress) President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday met with Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the President of Assembleia Da Republica, or the Portuguese Parliament, in Lisbon during her ongoing State Visit to the country.
The two leaders engaged in discussions on various bilateral and international matters. They agreed that frequent interactions between the Parliaments of India and Portugal would enhance the ties between the peoples of both nations.
President Murmu was welcomed with a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon her arrival at the 'Assembleia Da Republica' by Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco.
President Droupadi Murmu had fruitful discussions with Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco. Both parties explored methods to strengthen India-Portugal relations. Additionally, President Murmu interacted with Members of Parliament and met with the members of the India-Portugal Parliamentary Friendship Group, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
On the evening of Monday, President Murmu received the 'City Key of Honour' from the Mayor of Lisbon during a ceremony at the City Hall of Lisbon, Portugal.
During her speech, the President expressed gratitude to the Mayor and the citizens of Lisbon for the honour. She noted that Lisbon is celebrated for its open-mindedness, the hospitality of its residents, its culture, as well as its respect for diversity and tolerance.
She expressed her delight in recognizing that Lisbon is a global city leading in technological advancements, innovation, digital public infrastructure, and digital transitions. She emphasized that these areas present opportunities for enhanced cooperation between India and Portugal.
On Monday evening, President Murmu also attended a banquet hosted in her honour by the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at Palacio da Ajuda.
In her remarks at the banquet, President Murmu highlighted that the cultural connections between our peoples have existed for centuries and have profoundly influenced our shared imagination. These connections encompass our common history, reflected in architecture, historical sites, languages, and cuisines.
She pointed out that this year is particularly significant as we mark 50 years of India-Portugal bilateral relations. With our innate synergy and potential for collaboration across various sectors, our historic ties are evolving into a vibrant and visionary partnership.
President Murmu expressed her pleasure at the steady and progressive development in India-Portugal cooperation across multiple domains, including science and technology, defence, IT, startups, research, education, and cultural collaboration.
As a knowledge-driven economy, India is leveraging its strengths in areas such as science and technology, information and communication technologies, digital public infrastructure, startups, and innovation to establish a comprehensive and sustainable development model that benefits everyone. India regards Portugal as a key partner in these endeavours.
Commending Portugal's role in advancing India's relations with the European Union, President Murmu noted that during Portugal's Presidency of the EU, the inaugural India-EU Summit took place in 2000, and once again, under Portuguese leadership, the historic 'India-EU Plus 27 Leadership Summit' was held in May 2021.
President Murmu expressed her optimism that India-Portugal bilateral relations will continue to deepen and broaden in the future, benefitting not only our peoples but also the entire world.
