External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj will undertake a four day visit to Bulgaria, Morocco and Spain from 16-19 February 2019.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be on an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria on 16-17 February 2019. The visit is a follow-up visit to the State visit of the President of India to Bulgaria in September last year. This is the first ever visit of an Indian External Affairs Minister to Bulgaria. During the visit, EAM will meet with the Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria. The two leaders will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. EAM will pay floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the South Park in Sofia. The statue was unveiled last year by President of India along with President of Bulgaria to mark the celebrations of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. She will also interact with the Indian community and Friends of India in Sofia during the visit.
In the second leg of her tour, EAM Sushma Swaraj will visit Kingdom of Morocco on 17-18 February 2019. The visit is in pursuit of India’s objective of enhanced engagement with the Kingdom and will provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues. During the visit, EAM will interact with her counterpart Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Morocco. She will also call on King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, Saad Dine El Otmani, Head of Government and Habib El Maliki, President of Chamber of Representatives, Parliament. Three MoUs for cooperation in the areas of Counter Terrorism, Housing & Human Settlements and Youth Matters are expected for signing during the visit. Sushma Swaraj will also interact with the Indian community in Rabat.
In the last leg of her visit, EAM Sushma Swaraj will travel to Spain on 18-19 February, 2019 at the invitation of her counterpart, Josep Borrell Fontelles, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation. During her visit, External Affairs Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with her counterpart to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern.
The Spanish Government will also confer upon EAM Sushma Swaraj the prestigious Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit for India´s swift response through Operation Maitri in rescuing 71 Spanish nationals from Nepal in April 2015 in the wake of the disastrous earthquake.
Sushma Swaraj will also interact with the Indian Community in Spain.
External Affairs Minister’s visit will strengthen India’s relations with these three countries, expand avenues of cooperation and provide an opportunity discuss regional and global issues of importance.
Read out of telephonic conversation between NSA Ajit Doval and US NSA
