President Murmu returns to Delhi after concluding State visits to Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania
New Delhi, July 26
President Droupadi Murmu returned to New Delhi on Sunday after successfully concluding her three-nation State visit to Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania, marking a significant diplomatic outreach aimed at strengthening India's ties with the three European countries.
Announcing her return, the official X handle of the President of India posted: "President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Delhi after completing her State visits to Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania."
During the final leg of the tour, President Murmu visited Romania, where she held wide-ranging talks with Romanian President Nicusor Dan on advancing bilateral cooperation and regional and global issues.
According to the President's Secretariat, President Murmu was warmly received by President Dan at the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest and was accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour. The two leaders held comprehensive discussions covering key aspects of the India-Romania partnership and also exchanged views on regional and global developments as well as multilateral cooperation.
The visit also witnessed the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to expand bilateral collaboration in the fields of science and technology, sports, and the establishment of a Chair of Indian Studies at the University of Bucharest.
President Murmu's visit was historic as it marked the first State Visit by an Indian President to Romania in nearly three decades. She was accompanied by Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, along with Members of Parliament Dr. Dinesh Sharma and Vijay Baghel.
Before arriving in Romania, President Murmu visited North Macedonia, the second stop of her three-nation tour, after concluding her engagements in Moldova. Upon her arrival in the capital, Skopje, she was welcomed by North Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mucunski.
During the visit, President Murmu held discussions with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, with the talks aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors and further deepening relations between the two countries.
The President began her tour with a landmark visit to Moldova, becoming the first Indian President ever to visit the country. During her stay in Chisinau, she visited the Parliament of Moldova and met Speaker Igor Grosu along with members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group.
According to the President's Secretariat, President Murmu expressed confidence that the leaders of India and Moldova would continue working together to build a stronger, future-oriented and mutually beneficial partnership. She was welcomed on arrival at Chisinau International Airport by Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popșoi.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive that President Murmu visited Moldova and North Macedonia—countries rarely visited by Indian leaders. This kind of quiet diplomacy matters for expanding India's global footprint. Hope the Indian Studies chair at Bucharest University bears fruit.
While these visits are good for diplomacy, I wish the government also focused more on strengthening ties with our immediate neighbours. All these European trips are fine, but SAARC and BIMSTEC should get equal priority. Just my opinion.
First Indian President to visit Moldova—that's historic! 🇮🇳 Our soft power is growing. The sports MoU with Romania is interesting, maybe we can learn from their gymnastics programs. All in all, a successful tour for President Murmu.
These visits are important but I feel we send too many delegations abroad while our domestic issues remain unresolved. Still, glad to see India getting visibility in Eastern Europe. Hope the MoUs translate into real benefits for Indians.
Nice to see India strengthening ties with these nations. The ceremonial welcome in Romania sounded quite warm. I hope the Indian Studies chair at Bucharest University helps more Romanians learn about our culture and languages. 🌏
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