Vienna [Austria]: President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Vienna on Tuesday as part of her ongoing four-day state visit to Portugal and Slovakia.
Having concluded the first leg of her visit in Portugal, President Murmu has now reached Austria’s capital before proceeding to the Slovak Republic, where she will stay from April 9 to 10 at the invitation of Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini. This marks the first visit by an Indian President to Slovakia in 29 years.
Earlier, President Murmu visited Portugal at the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the first such visit since President K.R. Narayanan’s trip in 1998.
“A fruitful State visit to Portugal concludes. President Droupadi Murmu emplanes for the next leg of her tour, Slovak Republic,”
the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X.
During her time in Portugal, President Murmu was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Portuguese Parliament and warmly received by Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the President of Assembleia da Republica.
She also signed the official book of honour and met with the President’s cabinet, reaffirming the commitment to strengthen India-Portugal bilateral ties.
On April 7, President Murmu was honoured with the prestigious ‘City Key of Honour’ by the Mayor of Lisbon in a ceremony at City Hall. She also attended a banquet hosted by President de Sousa at Palacio da Ajuda, where she reflected on the significance of 2024 marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and Portugal.
In her remarks, President Murmu noted the promising future of the partnership:
“With the natural synergy and potential for cooperation in diverse fields, India-Portugal historic ties are firmly on the way to evolving into a dynamic and visionary partnership.”
She also visited the Church of Santa Maria, laying a wreath at the tomb of Luis Vaz de Camoes, Portugal’s national poet. In a symbolic moment, President Murmu and her Portuguese counterpart jointly launched commemorative postage stamps celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties.