 "President Murmu arrives in Timor-Leste to strengthen bilateral ties | India News")
President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Dili, Timor-Leste. In a special gesture, she was warmly received by President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste. (Image: @rashtrapatibhvn)
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday reached Timor-Leste, on the last leg of her three-nation visit, after concluding her visit to New Zealand and Fiji.
This will be the first-ever presidential visit from India to Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian nation.
During the visit, apart from the bilateral meeting with President Jose Ramos-Horta, there will also be a meeting with Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao who will call on Murmu.
The president will also attend a community reception with the Indians in Timor-Leste and Friends of India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Ahead of the visit, MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar told reporters in New Delhi that India will soon set up an embassy in Dili.
He also said that Timor-Leste has also announced its intention to open its embassy in New Delhi.
This visit comes seven months after the President of Timor-Leste visited India and attended the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January this year when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of that event.
Before this, President Murmu visited New Zealand, setting a new landmark in bilateral partnership.
She had useful discussions with Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters on further strengthening bilateral ties in which the Indian diaspora plays an important role.
She said she was happy to see the achievements of the diaspora in New Zealand. President Murmu visited Fiji at the invitation of her counterpart Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere. This was the first visit by an Indian head of state to the archipelago nation.
Katonivere and Murmu discussed ways to deepen the bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka also called on President Murmu and the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions and agreed to build upon the historic ties and strengthen the partnership between the two countries.
During her visit, she was conferred the Companion of the Order of Fiji, the country’s highest civilian award. She also addressed the Fijian Parliament and the Indian community in Fiji.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Aug 10 2024 | 8:55 AM IST
