Context:
During her state visit to Portugal, President Droupadi Murmu received the ‘City Key of Honour’ of Lisbon City from the Mayor of Lisbon at an event held at Câmara Municipal de Lisboa (City Hall).
More on the News
- With the handing over of the City Key of Honour, President Murmu becomes an honorary citizen of Lisbon.
- This is the first visit by an Indian president to Portugal in 27 years, the last being made by President K R Narayanan in 1998.
- The president’s state visit to Portugal marks 50 years of India-Portugal diplomatic ties.
- The President appreciated Portugal’s role in promoting India’s relations with the European Union.
- • India and Portugal have agreed to deepen bilateral ties, particularly in trade and investment, renewable energy and connectivity.
Other key Awards and honours for Smt. Droupadi Murmu
| Country | Awards |
| Suriname: | The Grand Order of the Chain of Yellow Star, the first Indian to receive this award (June 2023). |
| Fiji: | The Companion of the Order of Fiji (August 2024). |
| East Timor: | The Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste (August 2024). |
India-Portugal Relations
Historical Connections:
- Relations between India and Portugal date back over 500 years, when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama led a sea-faring expedition to Calicut (Kozhikode) in Kerala in 1498.
- Indian military action under “Operation Vijay” liberated Goa on 19 December 1961, ending over 450 years of Portuguese rule
Political relations:
- Portugal has consistently supported India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
- It was during Portugal’s Presidency of the European Union that the first India- EU Summit was held in 2000, and in May 2021, once again under the Portuguese Presidency, the historic “India-EU+ 27” Leadership Summit took place in Portugal.
- Portugal was also the first country in Europe with which India signed a Migration and Mobility Agreement.
- In July 2021, India was formally accepted as an associate observer in the 13th summit of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
Defence Cooperation:
- India and Portugal signed an MoU in defence cooperation in January 2017. Both sides have regularly exchanged delegations and participated in defence expos.
Economic relations:
- As per the Government of India’s data, India- Portugal trade in FY 2022-23 amounted to US$1,201.41 million.
- Indian exports stood at US$1,005.41 million and Portuguese exports at US$196 million.
- India maintained a positive trade balance, exporting goods worth US$72.2 million while importing goods valued at US$15.5 million.
- Portugal ranks 51st in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India, with total cumulative FDI reaching US$120.91 million from 2000 to 2022.
Diaspora:
- The Indian diaspora in Portugal is estimated to number around 1,25,000.
- This includes 35,902 Indian nationals and an estimated 90,000 persons of Indian origin, including 10,519 OCI card holders, belonging to different walks of life