Mera Saansad
تلاش کریں تلاش کریں
اردو language

India & Portugal have built modern bilateral partnership on the foundation of a shared historical connect: PM

Published By : Admin | January 7, 2017 | 19:16 IST
India & Portugal have built modern bilateral partnership on the foundation of a shared historical connect: PM
Our partnership is also strengthened by a strong convergence on global issues, including at the United Nations: PM
Expansion and deepening of trade, investment and business partnerships between India-Portugal is our shared priority: PM
Partnership being forged between Start-up Portugal and Start-up India will help us in our mutual quest to innovate and progress: PM
PM Modi thanks PM Antonio Costa of Portugal for consistent support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council

 

Your Excellency, Prime Minister Antonio Costa,
Distinguished delegates,
Members of the media,
Friends,
Good Evening, to you all.
Excellency,

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to India.This may be your first State Visit to India, but you are neither a stranger to India, nor is India unfamiliar to you.So, in addition to extending a warm welcome on this chilly evening, I must also say, Welcome Back! We are deeply honoured that you have accepted our invitation to be the Chief Guest at our Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the Indian Diaspora Day celebrations, in Bengaluru. Tomorrow, we will have the privilege to celebrate your outstanding accomplishments as a distinguished leader who has family roots in India. I also wish to congratulate you for the several successes that Portugal has had under your Prime Ministership. Under your leadership, the Portuguese economy is on a steady course and right direction.


Friends,

India and Portugal have built a modern bilateral partnership on the foundation of a shared historical connect.Our partnership is also strengthened by a strong convergence on global issues, including at the United Nations. In my extensive discussions with Prime Minister Costa today, we reviewed the full range of India–Portugal ties across various sectors. We agreed that the two countries must focus on action oriented approach to realize the full potential of economic opportunities in our partnership. The agreements signed today are just one indication of our shared resolve to do exactly that.

Friends,

Expansion and deepening of trade, investment, and business partnerships between our two countries is our shared priority. Areas of infrastructure, waste and water management, solar and wind energy, and innovation are full of opportunities to build strong commercial ties between our two economies.Our experiences of creating an ecosystem for start-ups could be an exciting area of bilateral engagement. It offers unique possibilities for building a rewarding partnership between our young business entrepreneurs that creates both value and wealth for both our societies.I am confident that the partnership being forged between Start-up Portugal and Start-up India will help us in our mutual quest to innovate and progress. Prime Minister Costa and I also agreed to deepen our partnership in the field of security and defence.The MoU on Defence cooperation signed today will help us harness our respective strengths in this field for mutual benefit.Sports is another area that holds promise for our bilateral ties. We are aware, Excellency, that you are an avid soccer fan. Portugal's strength in football and the rapid development of this sport in India could well form the nucleus of an emerging partnership in sporting disciplines.


Friends,

India and Portugal share common views on many international issues. I thanked Prime Minister Costa for Portugal’s consistent support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council. We are also grateful for the support extended by Portugal to India’s membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and for its continued support for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We also discussed the need for the global community to take strong and urgent action against the rapidly growing and widely spreading threats of violence and terror.


Excellency,

India and Portugal share a common cultural canvas.We deeply appreciate the contribution of your father, Orlando Costa, to enriching this space and to Goan and Indo-Portuguese literature. Today, we have released a commemorative stamp celebrating two dance forms. These two art forms, one Portuguese and the other Indian, are wonderful examples of our cultural affinities.

Excellency,

You have an exciting agenda of engagements and travels in India over the next couple of days.I wish you and your delegation the very best for stay and experience in Bengaluru, Gujarat and Goa.I especially wish that you have a memorable visit to Goa and are able to reconnect with your ancestral roots. 

Thank You.
Thank You very much.

 

Login or Register to add your comment
Explore More
شری رام جنم بھومی مندر دھوجاروہن اتسو کے دوران وزیر اعظم کی تقریر کا متن

Popular Speeches

شری رام جنم بھومی مندر دھوجاروہن اتسو کے دوران وزیر اعظم کی تقریر کا متن
View All
Odisha’s Dhenkanal farmers export 3 tonne of mango to London

Media Coverage

Odisha’s Dhenkanal farmers export 3 tonne of mango to London
View All
NM on the go

Nm on the go

Always be the first to hear from the PM. Get the App Now!
Download App
...
Prime Minister’s Departure Statement ahead of his visit to the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy
May 15, 2026

Today, I embark on a five-nation visit to the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy from 15-20 May 2026.

My first stop is the UAE. This will be my eighth visit to the UAE in the past 12 years, a reflection of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership built on deep mutual trust, personal friendships, and strong people-to-people ties. I look forward to meeting my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Under his leadership, the UAE has stood out for its resilience amid the profound geopolitical churn in West Asia. In these turbulent times, our energy partnership has emerged as a pillar of stability, and a strategic anchor for India’s energy security. We will exchange views on the regional situation, deepen our cooperation on energy security and resilient supply chains, and explore new avenues to further strengthen our investment partnership. The welfare of the 4.5 million-strong Indian community in the UAE, a cornerstone of our friendship, will also be on our agenda.

From the UAE, at the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Rob Jetten, I will pay an Official Visit to the Netherlands. I will call on Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, and hold talks with Prime Minister Jetten. Coming on the heels of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, the visit will give a fresh impetus to our trade and investment ties, and to our cooperation across semiconductors, water, clean energy, green hydrogen, defence and innovation. I also look forward to engaging with the vibrant Indian community, our living bridge with the Netherlands.

From the Netherlands, at the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Ulf Kristersson, I will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden on 17 May. My consultations with Prime Minister Kristersson will aim to add greater depth and breadth to our cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, innovation, green transition, joint R&D and defence. Together with PM Kristersson and the President of the European Commission, H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, I look forward to a constructive engagement with European business leaders at the European Round Table for Industry, a timely conversation that will boost investment inflows from European businesses.

From Sweden, at the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, I will pay a two-day visit to Norway. This will be my first visit to Norway, and the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years. I will call on Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja, hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Støre, and jointly inaugurate the India-Norway Business and Research Summit. Building on the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement that entered into force on 1 October 2025, we will chart the next chapter of our bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, sustainability, offshore industry, research and higher education, Arctic and polar research, space, and talent mobility.

On 19 May, I will engage with my Nordic counterparts at the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo, building on our previous Summits in Stockholm (2018) and Copenhagen (2022). Our exchanges will give new strength to the vibrant India-Nordic ties, and strengthen joint collaborations in technology and innovation, trade and investment, green transition, blue economy, defence, digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, and reform of global governance institutions. I will also have the opportunity to meet Nordic leaders bilaterally.

The final leg of my visit takes me to Italy on 19-20 May, at the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Ms. Giorgia Meloni. I will call on the President of the Italian Republic, H.E. Mr. Sergio Mattarella, and hold talks with Prime Minister Meloni. A central focus of our discussions will be the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a transformative initiative linking India to Europe through the Gulf, in which Italy is a key European partner. As IMEC moves from vision to implementation, India and Italy share a special responsibility in shaping a connectivity architecture that delivers prosperity and resilient supply chains. We will also review the implementation of our Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, and advance cooperation across trade and investment, defence and security, clean energy, and science and technology. In Rome, I will also visit the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an occasion to reiterate India’s firm commitment to multilateralism and our resolve to work with FAO towards global food security and nutrition.

I am confident that these visits, from the Gulf to the Nordics to the Mediterranean, will reinforce India’s strategic partnerships across regions critical to our future, deepen our trade, investment and people-to-people ties, bolster India's energy security, and advance our shared vision of connectivity, prosperity, and a stable global order.