Portuguese PM to visit India from December 19-20

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa will visit India from December 19-20 during which he will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The Ministry of External Affairs said Costa is visiting India on Modi's invitation to attend the second meeting of the Organising Committee on the celebrations for the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on December 19.

The meeting would be presided over by President Ram Nath Kovind. It said Modi and Costa will also hold talks.

"The high level political exchanges between India and Portugal have imparted a robust momentum to bilateral relations, including in several new areas such as science and technology, defence, startups, shipping, youth exchanges and culture," the MEA said. "This visit would provide another opportunity to the leaders to review the whole gamut of bilateral relations and forge closer cooperation in areas of mutual interest," it said.