President Droupadi Murmu departs for Slovakia after concluding Portugal visit

Lisbon, Apr 8 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday departed for a two-day state visit to Slovak Republic after concluding her visit to Portugal during which she met and held delegation-level talks with her counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
     Earlier, addressing the Indian community here at the end of her two-day state visit to Portugal, Murmu said the role of the Indian diaspora has become more important in the changing global scenario as she assured the Indian community in Portugal that the government was committed to further strengthening its ties with them and ensuring their welfare.
     President Murmu also said that India would become the world’s third-largest economy by the end of the decade.
     India’s relationship with Portugal has evolved into a multifaceted partnership and it is encouraging to see the continuous growth in their bilateral trade despite global challenges, President Murmu said during a State Banquet hosted by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in her honour on Monday evening at the ‘Ajuda’ Palace.
     Murmu said that India commends Portugal’s significant role in promoting India-EU relations.
     Meanwhile, briefing the media on the conclusion of President Murmu’s two-day state visit to Portugal, Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said that both countries are cooperating at various multilateral fora, including the United Nations.
     Portugal also reiterated its support for India’s bid for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
     “During the visit, Portuguese leadership reiterated its support for permanent membership of India at the United Nations Security Council,” Lal said.
     India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.
     President Murmu’s visit to Portugal, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, follows a gap of 27 years since an Indian president last visited.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)