India, Portugal exchange 14 pacts

INDIA and Portugal on Friday exchanged 14 agreements and understandings in a number of key areas, including maritime, intellectual property rights, aerospace and scientific research, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa held extensive talks.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa prior to a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI) 

 

Officials said the talks covered entire expanse of bilateral ties including in areas of trade, investment and education.

The pacts signed after Modi-Sousa talks included a joint declaration on mobility partnership and another on maritime transport. Sousa will also travel to Maharashtra and Goa during his visit.

 

In the morning, the Portuguese President was accorded a ceremonial after President Ram Nath Kovind received Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on his first State visit to India.

 

Kovind said Portugal-India relations are very special and the two countries enjoy 500 years of shared history. “The two countries are closely tied together through Goa and Mumbai, through our culture, language and kinship,” he said.

Kovind thanked Portugal for extending its support for the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.

 

The President said the India-Portugal bilateral agenda has expanded several folds. The two countries are collaborating in science and technology, defence, education, innovation and start-up, water and environment among other things, he added.

 

Calling terrorism a grave threat to the entire world, Kovind said, “We should deepen our

cooperation further to defeat and destroy this global menace.”