NEW DELHI, July 19: President Droupadi Murmu departed Sunday on official state visits to Moldova, North Macedonia, and Romania, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas including trade, technology, agriculture, education, and cultural exchanges.
The first leg of the visit begins Monday in Moldova and marks the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the Eastern European nation.
During her visit, President Murmu will hold delegation-level talks with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and meet Igor Grosu, President of the Parliament of Moldova.
She will also interact with members of the Moldova-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, address a business forum, and meet members of the Indian diaspora.
“India and Moldova enjoy warm and friendly relations. This visit would mark a significant and historic milestone and elevate bilateral ties to a broad-based partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Friday.
The ministry added that there is significant potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, information technology, and education.
President Murmu will then travel to North Macedonia for a two-day visit from July 21-22 at the invitation of President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. The visit will also be the first by an Indian Head of State to the country.
Her itinerary includes bilateral talks with President Siljanovska-Davkova, meetings with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Assembly President Afrim Gashi, and an address to the country’s Parliament.
The President will also speak at the India-North Macedonia Business Forum as both countries seek to expand cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, science, and information technology.
Briefing reporters on Friday, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said the three-nation visit reflects India’s expanding engagement with Central and Eastern Europe.
“The three-nation visit reflects India’s growing engagement with Central and Eastern Europe and reaffirms our commitment to strengthening our partnerships with the countries in the region,” George said.
“It also complements India’s broader engagement with Europe and the strategic partnership with the European Union,” he added.
For the final leg of the tour, President Murmu will visit Romania from July 23-25 at the invitation of President Nicusor Dan. It will be the first visit by an Indian President to Romania in more than three decades.
During the visit, she will hold talks with President Dan, interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, Senate President Mircea Abrudean, and Chamber of Deputies President Sorin Grindeanu. She will also meet members of the Romania-India Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Her schedule includes an address at the India-Romania Business Forum and an interaction with the Indian community in Romania.
According to the MEA, Romania is an important partner within the European Union, and the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement is expected to further strengthen bilateral economic ties.
The visit underscores India’s focus on expanding engagement with Eastern Europe and deepening cooperation with the three countries across political, economic, and cultural sectors.
The MEA also noted that Moldova, North Macedonia, and Romania had condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism. (ANI)
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