**Executive Summary**
This document reports on a Parliamentary delegation from Portugal that met with Shri Harivansh, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha. The discussions underscored the deep friendship, mutual respect, and shared values between India and Portugal, with specific mention of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025. Key areas of focus included bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and cultural linkages.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Bilateral Relations:**
* Relations between India and Portugal are rooted in deep friendship, mutual respect, shared democratic values, historical and maritime connections, and cultural/diaspora linkages.
* The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Portugal.
* Regular high-level interactions and exchanges between the two countries are growing cooperation across several sectors.
* **Economic Cooperation:**
* There is growing interest in Portugal towards Indian culture and philosophy, yoga, and Ayurveda.
* Cooperation exists across sectors such as Green and renewable energy, digital technologies, electronic items, and defence.
* Considerable bilateral trade exists between the two countries across sectors including real estate, hotel and hospitality, IT, and telecommunications, pharmaceuticals.
* India and Portugal have a history of Parliamentary exchanges and potential for further cooperation.
* The first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Montenegro on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 covered long-standing ties with a focus on enhancing economic linkages.
* **Cultural Linkages:**
* Portugal played a key role in promoting India's engagement with the European Union, hosting the first India-EU summit in 2000 and the first India-EU + 27 leaders summit in 2021.
* The Indo-Portuguese community acts as a bridge connecting the two nations and reinforcing bilateral ties.
* The large, vibrant, and multi-layered Indian diaspora in Portugal represents historical and enduring cultural linkages.
* The Deputy Chairman acknowledged the strong ties between the two nations and emphasized the need to continue cooperation in cultural exchange, given the shared heritage and historical linkages.
**Impact Analysis**
**Parliamentary Delegation from Portugal**
* **Impact:** Engaged in discussions highlighting the strength of bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges with India.
* **Action Required:** None explicitly stated in the document.
**Shri Harivansh, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha**
* **Impact:** Held discussions with the Portuguese delegation, reiterating the importance of India-Portugal relations and future cooperation.
* **Action Required:** None explicitly stated in the document.
**India and Portugal (as nations)**
* **Impact:** Bilateral relations are reinforced, with potential for enhanced economic and cultural cooperation. The document highlights existing strong ties and future avenues for collaboration.
* **Action Required:** The document emphasizes that India and Portugal must continue to promote cooperation in the area of culture, given the shared cultural heritage and historical linkages, and explore opportunities to realize the full potential of a forward-looking partnership.
Key Entities Referenced
India: Country involved in bilateral relations and parliamentary exchanges.
Portugal: Country involved in bilateral relations and parliamentary exchanges.
Shri Harivansh: Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, who met with the Portuguese delegation.
Rajya Sabha: The Indian parliamentary body where the meeting took place.
European Union: Regional bloc with which India has engaged, highlighted by past summits.
Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Parliamentary Delegation from Portugal calls on
Shri Harivansh, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya
Sabha
Relations of India and Portugal are rooted in deep friendship,
mutual respect, shared democratic values, historical &
maritime connections and cultural &diaspora linkages
Posted On: 05 MAR 2026 5:39PM by PIB Delhi
A Parliamentary Delegation led by H.E. Mr. Marcos Perestrello de Vasconcellos, Vice President of the
Portuguese Parliament, called on the Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh, in
Parliament today.
Underlining the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries, Shri Harivansh stated that the
relations of India and Portugal are rooted in deep friendship, mutual respect, shared democratic values,
historical & maritime connections and cultural & diaspora linkages. He recalled that the 50th anniversary
of the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Portugal was celebrated in the year 2025
making the year very special for both the countries.
Shri Harivansh appreciated key role played by Portugal towards promoting India’s engagement with
European union - hosting the first India -EU summit in year 2000 and also first India- EU + 27 leaders
summit held in Porto in 2021. He noted that the highly successful 16th India-EU Summit was co-chaired
by Mr. Antonio Costa, the former Prime Minister of Portugal in capacity as President of European Council
alongwith President of European Commission and our PM,Shri Narendra Modi.It led to big outcomes
including conclusion of India-EU FTA negotiations.
Highlighting the political cooperation between the two countries, Shri Harivansh stated that regular high-
level interactions and exchanges have guided the bilateral relations with growing cooperation across
several sectors. He noted that the first meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister
Montengero on the sidelines of G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 covered the long-standing ties with
a focus on enhancing economic linkages.
Shri Harivansh observed that as two vibrant democracies, India and Portugal have a history of
Parliamentary exchanges and emphasized that Parliamentary exchanges must be encouraged, especially
among young members of Parliament who represent the future of both the countries.
Appreciating growth in bilateral trade,Shri Harivansh mentioned that India and Portugal has shown a
healthy trend in this direction as cooperation across several sectors such as Green and renewable energy,
digital technologies, electronic items and defence have consistently strengthened in addition to traditional
trade in textiles, cork, agriculture products, machinery. He further highlighted that there is considerable
bilateral investment between both the countries across sectors including real estate, hotel and hospitality,
IT, and telecommunications, pharmaceuticals.Shri Harivansh expressed his satisfactionto note that there is growing interest in Portugal towards Indian
culture and philosophy, yoga and Ayurveda, music, dance, cuisine and films. He highlighted that the large,
vibrant and multi-layered Indian diaspora in Portugal represents historical and enduring cultural linkages
between India and Portugal. He noted that the most well-known among them is the former Prime
Minister,Mr. António Costa, who is an overseas Citizen of India.
The Deputy Chairman observed that the Indo-Portuguese community with their cultural and ancestral ties
to India, act as a bridge connecting the two nations and reinforcing the bilateral ties. He emphasized that
India and Portugal must continue to promote cooperation in the area of culture, given the shared cultural
heritage and historical linkages across centuries.
Concluding the meeting, the Deputy Chairman reaffirmed the existence of natural synergies and
complementarities between India and Portugal. He emphasized that India and Portugal must continue their
efforts to forge closer ties, explore new opportunities and realize the full potential of a forward-looking
partnership.
***
RK
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