President Droupadi Murmu is set to embark on a week-long state visit to Moldova, Romania, and North Macedonia, starting July 19, in a bid to bolster ties with the Eastern European region.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced the visits on Friday, stating that President Murmu will visit Moldova on July 20 at the invitation of President Maia Sandu. This marks the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Moldova. During her visit, Murmu will hold delegation-level talks with her counterpart and meet Igor Grosu, president of the Moldovian Parliament.
She will also interact with members of the Moldova-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, address a business forum, and hold interactions with members of the Indian community. Officials believe that the visit will elevate bilateral ties to a broad-based partnership, with good scope for mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals, IT, and education.
In the second part of her three-nation visit, Murmu will arrive in North Macedonia on July 21 for a two-day visit, also marking the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the nation. She will hold bilateral talks with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, meet Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, and address the Assembly of North Macedonia. Both sides have expressed interest in deepening economic ties in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, science and technology, IT, and ITES.
In the final leg of the tour, President Murmu will visit Romania on July 23, marking the first visit by an Indian President in three decades. She will meet her counterpart Nicușor Dan and interim PM Ilie Bolojan, address the India-Romania Business Forum, and interact with the members of the Indian diaspora. The MEA stated that Romania is a valuable partner in the European Union, and the bilateral economic partnership is expected to strengthen further in the coming years with the conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
