President Kovind arrives in Iceland for state visit

Starting off the first leg of his three-nation visit, President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Reykjavik on Monday to enhance India's political and economic ties with the European nation.

Starting off the first leg of his three-nation visit, President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Reykjavik on Monday to enhance India's political and economic ties with the European nation. The President is accompanied by his wife Savita Kovind. This is the first visit of an Indian President to Iceland since the visit of former President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2005.

During his nine-day official trip to Europe, Kovind is also slated to visit Switzerland and Slovenia. In Iceland, Kovind will hold talks with his Icelandic counterpart Gudni Th. Johannesson and Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. He will also deliver a lecture at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik on 'India-Iceland partnership towards making a greener planet'.

The second leg of the visit to Switzerland will begin on September 11. The President will have wide-ranging discussions with his Swiss counterpart and country's cabinet. The Indian business delegation accompanying Kovind will engage with their Swiss contemporaries at the India-Swiss Business Forum. "India and Switzerland have very extensive economic and trade relationships. The forum aims to take these relations to higher levels," an official statement said.

The President has been invited to address the University of Bern on the theme 'India-Switzerland new age partnership connecting Himalayas with Alps'. The final leg of the visit to Slovenia will begin on September 15 and mark the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the country. During the visit, Kovind will hold wide-ranging discussion with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor and the National Assembly President. (ANI)

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