President Kovind leaves for Turkmenistan, Netherlands
New Delhi, April 1: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday embarked on a seven-day state visit to Turkmenistan and Netherlands.
This happens to be the first ever visit of an Indian President to Turkmenistan and first to Netherlands after 34 years.
It's been 30 years since Turkmenistan was established and this year also marks three decades of diplomatic relations between India and Turkmenistan. For that country too, it would be the first biggest incoming visit for the newly appointed President of Turkmenistan, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.
India and Turkmenistan will issue a joint statement and also have MoUs on disaster management, financial intelligence, programme of cooperation and culture and Youth Affairs; joint postal stamp to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the statement read.
Marking the 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and the Netherlands, President Kovind's visit to Netherlands will be from April 4-7 at the invitation of Netherland's King William Alexander and Queen Maxima. This will be the first high-level visit from India after the royal couple visited India in October 2019.
The last Presidential visit from India to the Netherlands was 34 years ago when the then President Venkataraman visited the country in 1988. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Netherlands in 2017.
President's visit is a follow up to the India Netherlands virtual summit held in April 2021, where the two sides had agreed to launch a strategic partnership on water, setting up a bilateral fast track mechanism for investment facilitation and also establish 25 centres of excellence in agri-related sectors by 2025.
"There will be MoUs signed on ports, on state archives, cultural exchanges, as well as the science and technology programme of cooperation," the MEA said.
Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan and Member of Parliament Dilip Ghosh are accompanying the President on this trip.