President Droupadi Murmu, during her ongoing State Visit to Portugal, met with the President of the Portuguese Parliament, Assembleia da República, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, on Tuesday. The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral and global issues, with both agreeing that regular exchanges between the Parliaments of India and Portugal would help deepen people-to-people connections.
President Murmu was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon her arrival at the Assembleia da República and was warmly welcomed by Aguiar-Branco.
“President Droupadi Murmu held productive talks with the President of Assembleia da República, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen India-Portugal relations. President Murmu also interacted with Members of Parliament and members of the India-Portugal Parliamentary Friendship Group,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
On Monday evening, President Murmu was honoured with the ‘City Key of Lisbon’ by the Mayor of Lisbon at a special ceremony held at the City Hall.
In her remarks, the President expressed gratitude to the Mayor and the people of Lisbon for the warm gesture. She praised Lisbon for its openness, cultural richness, and its tradition of tolerance and respect for diversity.
She noted that Lisbon is a global city at the forefront of innovation, digital transformation, and public infrastructure. President Murmu said that these are areas where India and Portugal can further enhance their cooperation.
Later that evening, President Murmu attended a banquet hosted in her honour by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Palacio da Ajuda.
In her address at the banquet, President Murmu reflected on the centuries-old cultural ties between India and Portugal, highlighting the shared heritage visible in architecture, historical sites, languages, and cuisine.
“This year holds special significance as we celebrate 50 years of India-Portugal bilateral relations. With our natural synergy and scope for collaboration across diverse sectors, our historic ties are evolving into a dynamic and forward-looking partnership,” she said.
President Murmu expressed satisfaction with the steady growth in cooperation between India and Portugal in various areas, including science and technology, defence, information technology, start-ups, research, and education.
“As a knowledge-based economy, India is leveraging its strengths in science and technology, ICT, digital public infrastructure, and innovation to create an inclusive and sustainable development model. We consider Portugal a valued partner in these efforts,” she noted.
She also acknowledged Portugal’s efforts in promoting India’s relationship with the European Union. She recalled that the first India-EU Summit was held in 2000 during Portugal’s presidency of the EU, and again in May 2021, under Portugal’s leadership, the historic ‘India-EU+27 Leaders’ Summit’ took place in Portugal.
President Murmu concluded by expressing confidence that India-Portugal relations will grow even stronger in the years ahead, benefiting not only both nations but also contributing positively to the global community.
— IANS
