Meenakshi Lekhi to visit Portugal, Spain from September 12-17
Sep 11, 2021
New Delhi [India], September 11 : Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi is set to visit Portugal and Spain from September 12-17, informed the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
During her visit to Portugal from September 12-14, Lekhi will have bilateral talks with her counterpart Secretary of State for International Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco Andre. She will also meet the Foreign Minister of Portugal, Augusto Santos Silva and the Secretary of State for Internationalization Eurico Brilhante Dias in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A bilateral agreement on the recruitment of Indian citizens to work in Portugal will be signed during the visit, said the statement.
Lekhi would also meet the Minister of Culture of Portugal, Graca Maria da Fonseca and the Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), Zacarias da Costa. India was admitted as an Associate Observer of CPLP in July 2021 and is committed to deepening its historic relations with the Lusophone countries.
She will also meet members of the Indian community and attend an event marking the rich cultural heritage of India as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
During her visit to Spain from September 15-17, Lekhi will hold discussions with her counterpart, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Angeles Moreno Bau and meet other senior dignitaries in the Spanish government.
Lekhi will also inaugurate 'The Beatles and India' exhibition at Casa de la India, Valladolid and deliver a talk on India's Development Cooperation at the Spain India Council Foundation. She will also interact with Indologists and Indophiles, including ICCR Alumni, and the Indian Community in Spain, said the Ministry of External Affairs in the statement.
India enjoys warm and friendly relations with both Portugal and Spain. The visit of Lekhi, which is the first in-person official engagement with both countries since the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to provide fresh momentum to bilateral ties.
