New Delhi, 19 July (H.S.): President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday departed for the first leg of her seven-day three-nation state visit. She will visit Moldova from July 19 to 20 as part of her official tour. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Moldova.

During her visit to Moldova, President Murmu will hold bilateral and delegation-level talks with her Moldovan counterpart President Maia Sandu. She will also meet Igor Grosu, the Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that President Murmu will undertake state visits to Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania from July 19 to 25. He said this marks the first state visit by an Indian President to Moldova and North Macedonia, while the presidential-level visit to Romania is taking place after a gap of three decades. The visit is expected to further strengthen India’s bilateral relations with all three countries.

During her Moldova visit, President Murmu and President Maia Sandu will discuss a range of bilateral issues. Both sides will explore opportunities to enhance cooperation in sectors including agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, information technology and education. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that there is significant potential for mutually beneficial partnerships between the two countries in these areas.

After concluding her Moldova visit, President Murmu will travel to North Macedonia on July 21 and 22. This will also be the first state visit by an Indian President to the country. During her stay, she will hold bilateral talks with North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. She will also meet Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and the Speaker of Parliament, besides addressing the Parliament of North Macedonia.

President Murmu will also address the India-North Macedonia Business Forum. Discussions during the visit will focus on expanding economic cooperation between the two countries in areas such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, science and technology, information technology and IT-enabled services.

In the final leg of her tour, President Murmu will visit Romania from July 23 to 25 for a state visit. This will be the first visit by an Indian President to Romania in more than three decades. During her visit, she will hold bilateral talks with Romanian President Nicușor Dan, address the India-Romania Business Forum and interact with representatives of the Indian community.

Romania is an important partner of India within the European Union. With progress being made towards the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, economic and trade relations between India and Romania are expected to gain further momentum in the coming years.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar