Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Swiss President Guy Parmelin at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday for discussions aimed at strengthening the India-Switzerland partnership and exploring new areas of cooperation.
Parmelin is on a State visit to India, with the visit expected to provide further momentum to bilateral engagement.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two leaders would discuss various dimensions of the bilateral partnership and explore opportunities to take relations forward.
The talks come as India and Switzerland look to expand cooperation across multiple areas and build on their longstanding relationship.
Earlier, Parmelin paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
The Ministry of External Affairs described the visit to Gandhi’s memorial as a moment of remembrance, highlighting the continuing global relevance of his message of peace and non-violence.
The Swiss President was also accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan following his arrival in New Delhi.
According to the MEA, the reception reflected the longstanding friendship between India and Switzerland.
Parmelin was received at the airport by Minister of State Ajay Tamta and was accorded a ceremonial static guard.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also met the visiting Swiss President.
Their discussions focused on deepening bilateral ties and building on opportunities arising from the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
Jaishankar expressed appreciation for Parmelin’s approach towards strengthening the partnership and said he was confident that the Swiss President’s meeting with PM Modi would advance cooperation across a broad range of areas.
