The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu was honoured with the ‘City Key of Honour’ of Lisbon City from the Mayor of Lisbon at the historic Camara Municipal de Lisboa (City Hall) in Portugal. The President attended a banquet hosted in her honour by the President of the Republic of Portugal, H.E. Mr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at Palacio da Ajuda. The ceremony was attended by several eminent citizens of Lisbon, including the diplomatic corps and representatives of the Indian and Indo-Portuguese community.
In her address, President Murmu expressed gratitude for the Mayor and the people of Lisbon for the gesture. She said that Lisbon is known for its open-mindedness, the warmth of its people and its culture, along with tolerance and respect for diversity. She was happy to note that Lisbon is a global city that is at the forefront of technological change, innovation, digital public infrastructure and digital transition. She said that in these areas India and Portugal could further cooperate.
While speaking at the handing over ceremony of City Key of Honour of Lisbon at Lisbon, Murmu said, “We are working to make India a developed country, ‘Viksit Bharat’, by 2047, which will be a prosperous, inclusive and developed society with a human-centric approach.”
President Murmu noted that 2025 marks a significant milestone as India and Portugal celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. She emphasized the strong foundations and evolving dynamics of this bilateral relationship, underlined by collaboration in key sectors such as defence, science and technology, start-ups, IT, education, research, and cultural exchange.
The President said that as a knowledge-based economy, India is harnessing its strengths in areas such as science and technology, information and communication technology, digital public infrastructure, start-ups and innovation to create an inclusive and sustainable development model that benefits all. She stated that India considers Portugal as its partner in these efforts.
The President appreciated Portugal’s role in promoting India’s relations with the European Union. She highlighted that 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 Plus 27” Leadership Summit took place in Portugal.
Concluding her address, the President expressed confidence that India-Portugal relations will continue to expand and deepen, contributing meaningfully not just to the two nations, but to global cooperation and shared prosperity.
