President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Portugal, marking the first state visit in 27 years, was highlighted by a prestigious ceremony where she was presented with the "Key of Honour" of Lisbon City. The ceremony, held at the historic Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (City Hall), saw the attendance of Lisbon's prominent citizens, the diplomatic corps, and representatives from the Indian and Indo-Portuguese communities.
In a post on social media platform X, President Murmu expressed her gratitude, stating, "In a special ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Lisbon at the historic Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, I was presented with the ‘Key of Honour’ of Lisbon City. I thank the Mayor and the people of Lisbon for this gesture and praised them for their affectionate nature, open-mindedness, spirit of tolerance, and respect for diversity".
During her speech at the ceremony, the President emphasized India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, remarking, “We are working to make India a developed country, ‘Viksit Bharat’, by 2047, which will be a prosperous, inclusive, and developed society with a human-centric approach.” She also highlighted Portugal’s significant role in strengthening India’s relationship with the European Union, stating, “Portugal has been an important partner of India in promoting our relations with the European Union and Lusophone countries”.
Earlier in the day, President Murmu held extensive talks with Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, where they discussed a range of bilateral issues. According to a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan, the two leaders addressed various aspects of India-Portugal relations, focusing on trade and investment, IT, renewable energy, and connectivity. Both agreed to continue strengthening their long-standing ties based on mutual trust and cooperation at the multilateral level.
This historic visit, which marks the first visit of an Indian President to Portugal in nearly three decades, reinforces the long-standing cultural and diplomatic relationship between the two nations. The last state visit by an Indian President to Portugal took place in 1998, with President K. R. Narayanan’s trip.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)