President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet on October 5 in honour of Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Welcoming President Parmelin, Murmu emphasised the warm and cordial relations between India and Switzerland, which are founded on shared democratic values and the rule of law.
She noted that cooperation extends across numerous fields, including trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, culture, and people-to-people contacts. Regular high-level exchanges continue to bolster bilateral relations.
Murmu identified Switzerland as a key trade and investment partner for India, highlighting new opportunities following the implementation of the India-European Free Trade Association Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement.
She observed that Swiss companies are significantly involved in India’s infrastructure sector, particularly in constructing roads, railway bridges, and tunnels.
The President expressed that both countries could explore collaboration in emerging sectors such as clean and green technology and Artificial Intelligence.
She also welcomed the signing of important agreements during the visit to enhance cooperation in areas including migration and mobility, research, and technology transfer.
Both leaders concurred that strengthened cooperation between India and Switzerland stands to benefit their populations greatly.
They expressed confidence that the visit would further deepen ties between the two nations.
Earlier in the day, Parmelin held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, with the discussions covering a broad range of areas aimed at taking the India-Switzerland partnership forward.
“In our talks today, President Guy Parmelin and I discussed ways to take the India-Switzerland partnership forward across key areas like: Trade and investment, especially in the wake of the India-EFTA agreement. Defence production. Nuclear energy. Infrastructure and mobility. Science, technology and innovation. Opportunities for students and professionals,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
The Prime Minister said the two sides also discussed deeper cooperation in health, clean energy, space, Yoga and Ayurveda.
The Swiss President’s visit, which began on Monday and runs through October 7, is centred on strengthening bilateral engagement across commerce, investment, scientific advancement, technological innovation and workforce mobility.
During the banquet, Murmu also noted that regular high-level exchanges between India and Switzerland have continued to provide momentum to bilateral relations, while expressing confidence that closer cooperation would benefit the people of both countries. (ANI)
