President Murmu receives ‘City Key of Honour’ of Lisbon
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday night received the ‘City Key of Honour’ of Lisbon and attended a banquet hosted in her honour by the President of Portugal.
The event was hosted at the City Hall of Lisbon, Portugal.
Speaking on the occasion, the President thanked the Mayor and the people of Lisbon for the gesture. She said that Lisbon was known for its open-mindedness, warmth of its people and its culture, along with tolerance and respect for diversity. She was happy to note that Lisbon was a global city that was 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.
On Monday evening, the President attended a banquet hosted in her honour by the President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at Palacio da Ajuda.
In her banquet remarks, the President said that the cultural ties between the people of both countries spanned centuries, and these ties had left an indelible mark on the 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 we 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 was happy to note 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.
“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. India considers Portugal as its partner in these efforts," she said.
Murmu 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 also expressed confidence that India-Portugal bilateral relations would become stronger and broader in the times to come and it would be beneficial not only for the countries but for the entire world.
India