PM Modi presents 'Overseas Citizen of India' card to Portuguese PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the Overseas Citizen of India card to Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who traces his routes to Goa.

He also presented Costa with his old PIO card framed with a picture of Costa receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.

Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the crowd at the Radha Krishna temple in Lisbon, expressed gratitude for being the first Prime Minister to visit Portugal for a bilateral talk as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the country for European Union Conference.

Speaking at the occasion, the Prime Minister lauding India's achievement's said, "In the field of space, our scientists have done great work. Recently 30 nano satellites were launched. India is fast moving ahead, and is touching new heights in many fields."

Prior to his visit to the temple, Prime Minister Modi visited the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon along with his Portuguese counterpart.

The Champalimaud Foundation is a private biomedical research foundation. It provides cutting-edge cancer treatment, and supports "ahead of the curve" cancer research. It offers a new holistic approach to medical care, that integrates day to day treatment with research and innovation in a green environment, closely linked to nature.

Earlier in a joint statement Prime Minister Modi said that economic ties between the two nations continue to follow an upward trajectory. Bilateral trade has grown 17 percent last year and the foreign direct investment from Portugal to India, though small, has doubled during 2016-17.

The two leaders on Saturday also launched a unique startup Portal - the India-Portugal International StartUp Hub (IPISH) - aimed at providing information on start-up hotspots in the two countries and associated policies.

The platform initiated by Startup India and supported by Commerce & Industry Ministry and Startup Portugal to create a mutually supportive entrepreneurial partnership.

IPISH hosts a range of tools and will provide information on the start-up hotspots of Bangalore, Delhi and Lisbon and on associated subjects, such as policy, taxation, and visa options. It will develop a Go-To-Market Guide to support start-ups.

The two sides also new agreements in the field of taxation, science, space, youth affairs and sports to further expand their bilateral relations.