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President Droupadi Murmu has received the ‘City Key of Honour’ of Lisbon City. The President, who is on a two-day tour to Portugal, expressed happiness over the steady and progressive growth in India-Portugal cooperation in various fields, including science and technology, defence, IT, start-ups, research, educational and cultural cooperation. Advertisement She received the honour from the Mayor of Lisbon at a function held at the City Hall of Lisbon, Portugal, on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, the President thanked the Mayor and the people of Lisbon for the gesture. She said Lisbon is known for its open-mindedness, warmth of its people and its culture, along with tolerance and respect for diversity. Advertisement This is the first visit by an Indian president to Portugal in 27 years, the last being by President K R Narayanan in 1998, according to the President’s Secretariat.
The President was happy to note that Lisbon is a global city that is at the forefront of technological change, innovation, digital public infrastructure and digital transition. She said that in these areas, India and Portugal could further cooperate. Last evening, the president attended a banquet hosted in her honour by Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at Palacio da Ajuda.
In her banquet remarks, the President said, ”The cultural ties between our peoples span centuries, and these ties have left an indelible mark on our collective imagination. These include our shared past which is reflected in architecture, historical sites and languages, as well as our cuisines.” The President said that this year holds special significance as the two nations celebrate 50 years of India-Portugal bilateral relations.
”With our natural synergy and potential for cooperation in diverse fields, our historic ties are firmly on their way to becoming a dynamic and visionary partnership,” she said. The President said that as a knowledge-based economy, India is harnessing its strengths in areas such as science and technology, information and communication technology, digital public infrastructure, start-ups and innovation to create an inclusive and sustainable development model that benefits all. She stated that India considers Portugal as its partner in these efforts.
The President appreciated Portugal’s role in promoting India’s relations with the European Union. She highlighted that it was during Portugal’s Presidency of the European Union that the first India-EU Summit was held in 2000, and in May 2021, once again under the Portuguese Presidency, the historic “India-EU Plus 27” Leadership Summit took place in Portugal. The President expressed confidence that India-Portugal bilateral relations will become even closer and broader in the times to come, and it will be beneficial not only for the people of the two countries but for the entire world.
President Murmu is on a four-day visit to Portugal and the Slovak Republic from April 7 to 10. Advertisement.
