Portuguese PM Antonio Costa Greets India on the Nation’s 72nd Independence Day

GOA:
Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, greeted the Indian community in Portugal and the people of India on the nation’s 72nd Independence Day. “To all the Indians around the world, and especially to the members of the Indian community in Portugal, I wish a happy and auspicious Independence Day,” said the PM of Goan origin in an op-ed in the Portuguese language publication Diario de Noticias.
He fondly recalled his visit to India in January 2017 when he visited Goa, the land of his origins. Prime Minister Costa goes on to speak about the Goan diaspora spread across the globe and the importance of Portugal and India growing together in the twenty-first century. The two countries have signed agreements in the fields of science and technology, he stated.
Recalling and appreciating the collaboration with Goa based VMSIIHE he said, “The agreement with V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education in Goa has allowed the promotion and exchange of experiences and skills in the area of tourism, through the exchange of students in a effort to boost tourism exchange.”
VMSIIHE had earlier forged an MoU with Turismo de Portugal during PM Costa’s visit to Goa and successfully conducted student exchange programmes since the , where students from India and Portugal travelled to each other’s countries to learn and gain a deeper understanding of the culinary history and culture of the regions.
In addition to the exchange programmes, recently a group of students from the institute embarked on a journey to Portugal on a six month paid internship. They have been placed at resorts and hotels in the tourist spots of Algarve and Obidos.
The PM also spoke about how the Portugal-India Business Hub, is a great platform that aims to promote business between entrepreneurs in Portugal and India.
PM Costa ended his message with a confirmation of visiting India once again at the invitation of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to join the commission for the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, which will take place in 2019.