Modi treated to Gujarati meal by Portuguese PM

In what can be seen as a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was treated to a Gujarati meal by his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, as they sat down for a delegation-level working lunch on Saturday.

"In a gesture of personal warmth and attention, PM @antoniocostapm arranged a special Gujarati meal at the lunch hosted for PM @narendramodi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

The menu included aakhu saak, saag kofta, rajma aur makai, tarkha daal, kesar rice, paratha, rotli, and papad, mango shrikhand, and gulab jamun eggless-apple strudel.

Modi arrived here earlier in the day in what is the first ever bilateral prime ministerial visit from India. This follows Costa's visit to India in January this year after his election last year.

Modi was received at the airport here by Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva in a departure from protocol.

Following this, Modi and Costa greeted each other with a warm embrace at the Necessidades Palace here before the two went on a one-to-one meeting over a walk on the palace gardens.

--IANS

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