External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to visit Portugal, Italy from Tuesday

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a four-day visit to Portugal and Italy from Tuesday with an aim to further bolster India's bilateral ties with the two key European nations.

In the first leg of the trip, Jaishankar will visit Portugal on October 31 and November 1, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The external affairs minister will be in Italy on November 2 and 3.

"During the visit to Portugal, the external affairs minister will hold discussions with his counterpart Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho on the entire range of bilateral relations and on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest," the MEA said.

It said the minister is expected to meet the Portuguese leadership, members of the Portugal-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Indian community in Portugal.

From Portugal, Jaishankar will travel to Italy. "The external affairs minister will meet his counterpart Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Minister of Defence and Minister for 'Made in Italy'. He is also expected to meet the top leadership of the country," the MEA said in a statement.

It said he would be addressing the Joint Session of the Senate's External Affairs and Defence Commission, and the EU Affairs Commission and India-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet the members of the Indian community in Italy.

"India and Italy enjoy friendly and cordial relations and multifaceted bilateral cooperation," the MEA said.

The relationship between the two countries was elevated to 'Strategic Partnership' during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to New Delhi in March.