Spain's President to visit India after 18 years
What's the story
Spain's President Pedro Sanchez will visit India from October 27 to 29, the first such visit by a Spanish leader in nearly two decades. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the official visit will strengthen bilateral ties and sign a number of agreements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Sanchez and his wife, Begona Gomez.
Inauguration event
Sanchez, Modi to inaugurate Airbus unit in Gujarat
A highlight of President Sanchez's visit will be the inauguration of the Final Assembly Line Plant of C295 aircraft in Vadodara. The plant is a flagship 'Make in India' initiative, set up through a partnership between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus Spain. The MEA said "a number of MoUs/agreements are expected to be signed during the visit which shall give a fillip to bilateral cooperation."
Visit details
Sanchez's itinerary includes meeting with industry leaders
Apart from his official engagements, President Sanchez will also visit Mumbai where he is likely to interact with trade and industry leaders, think tanks, and film industry members. The MEA noted that the visit presents an opportunity to review and deepen partnerships across sectors. These include trade and investment, IT, innovation, infrastructure, renewable energy, defense and security, pharma, Agro-tech and Bio-tech culture as well as tourism.
Bilateral ties
India-Spain relations expected to strengthen post visit
The bilateral ties between India and Spain have been on an upswing since PM Modi's visit to Spain in 2017. President Sanchez's visit is expected to further strengthen these ties. The MEA said that "India and Spain enjoy close and friendly relations," adding that this visit will provide an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and further deepen partnerships across various sectors.