E-Paper
India, Portugal explore possibilities for post-Covid-19 cooperation
India has focussed on working with European countries in recent years to work out better arrangements for the mobility of its skilled professionals.
India and Portugal on Wednesday reviewed bilateral relations and explored the possibilities for cooperation in the post-Covid-19 scenario during a virtual meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva.
Both countries “reaffirmed their commitment to reformed multilateralism and agreed to maintain close contact and coordination on regional and global issues with particular reference to India’s presence in the United Nations Security Council from 2021”, said a statement from the external affairs ministry.
“Co-chaired a productive ministerial review with FM Augusto Santos Silva @nestrangeiro_pt of Portugal. Discussed deepening economic cooperation, migration & mobility and shared maritime interests. Reaffirmed our common commitment to multilateralism,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.
The two leaders made a detailed review of bilateral ties, including the cooperation between the two countries during the Covid-19 pandemic and the possibilities of cooperation in the post-Covid scenario, the statement said.
The two ministers also agreed that the momentum in ties will be maintained, particularly in new areas of cooperation such as migration and mobility partnership, defence cooperation, and deepening of economic ties.
India has focussed on working with European countries in recent years to work out better arrangements for the mobility of its skilled professionals.
They also discussed relations between India and the European Union (EU) and agreed to work closely for the next India-EU27 leaders’ meeting during Portugal’s presidency of the grouping in 2021. Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa has already issued an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this meeting.
