Twenty-seven years after the last presidential visit from India, President Droupadi Murmu is slated to travel to Portugal on April 7–8 at the invitation of her counterpart, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. President Murmu will also visit Slovakia — the first such visit in 29 years — during the second leg of her four-day tour, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
The two-nation visit comes amid India’s growing engagement with Europe. Just weeks ago, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners visited India, where it was announced that the India-EU free trade agreement would be finalised this year.
Speaking at a special media briefing, Tanmay Lal, Secretary (West), MEA, called the upcoming engagements “two important landmark visits.” He said the Portugal leg is historic as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Lisbon. President de Sousa visited India in 2020, while Prime Minister António Costa came in 2019.
In Portugal, President Murmu will hold delegation-level talks with her counterpart and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and the Speaker of Parliament, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco. “The President will also meet members of the Indian community in Portugal and is likely to interact with Indian researchers from various universities and academic institutions,” Lal said, adding that then-President K.R. Narayanan had visited Portugal in 1988.
On the visit to the Slovak Republic, Lal noted, “It has been nearly three decades since the last presidential visit to Slovakia from India. This is only the second-ever state visit from India to Slovakia.” He highlighted that the visit coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Indian Embassy’s establishment in Bratislava in 1995.
Slovakia hosts a 6,000-strong Indian diaspora and has seen significant bilateral business engagement, especially in automobiles, engineering, and IT. Slovak companies are also investing in India in sectors such as steel manufacturing, IT hardware, and defence, officials said.
President Murmu will hold delegation-level talks with President Peter Pellegrini and meet Prime Minister Robert Fico. She will also address members of the Indian community. Officials noted that during the 2022 evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine, Slovakia provided crucial support. India-Slovakia ties are also gaining significance in the broader India-EU partnership context.
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The India-Portugal relationship adds to the strength of the India-EU relationship. The trade is presently at $1.5 billion, and it has been growing steadily. Portugal was also the first country in Europe with whom India had signed a Migration and Mobility Agreement. It is during the Portuguese Presidency of the EU in 2000 that the first India-EU summit was hosted by Portugal.
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