President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, late Sunday night, marking the start of a significant four-day state visit to Portugal and Slovakia from April 7 to 10.
Her visit to Portugal is at the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and it comes after a 27-year gap—the last Indian presidential visit to Portugal being that of President K. R. Narayanan in 1998.
Following her engagements in Portugal, President Murmu will travel to Slovakia from April 9 to 10 at the invitation of Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini. This marks the first state visit by an Indian President to Slovakia in 29 years.
Highlighting the importance of these visits, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, “President Droupadi Murmu emplanes on State visits to Portugal and the Slovak Republic. These are the first State visits to either country by the President of India in more than 25 years.” He added that the visits aim to further deepen India’s multifaceted partnerships with both nations.
Tanmay Lal, Secretary (West) of the MEA, described the tours as “two important landmark visits,” noting that the Portugal visit is particularly historic as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Portugal.
While in Lisbon, President Murmu will hold delegation-level talks with President Sousa, and attend a banquet hosted in her honour. She is also scheduled to meet Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, Parliament Speaker Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco, and the Mayor of Lisbon. Additionally, she will engage with the Indian diaspora and Indian researchers in Portugal.
The visit to Slovakia also holds symbolic value, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Indian embassy in Bratislava in 1995.
These visits are expected to strengthen India’s ties with two key European Union partners and boost bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
