India, Portugal exchange 14 agreements in key areas to boost cooperation

India and Portugal on Friday exchanged 14 agreements and understandings in a number of key areas, including maritime, intellectual property rights, aerospace and scientific research, as President Ram Nath Kovind hosted his Portuguese counterpart.

Kovind received Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on his first state visit to India.

Kovind said Portugal-India relations are very special and the two countries enjoy 500 years of shared history.

"The two countries are closely tied together through Goa and Mumbai, through our culture, language and kinship," he said.

Kovind thanked Portugal for extending its support for the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

The president said the India-Portugal bilateral agenda has expanded several folds. The two countries are collaborating in science and technology, defence, education, innovation and start-up, water and environment among other things, he added.

Calling terrorism a grave threat to the entire world, Kovind said, "We should deepen our cooperation further to defeat and destroy this global menace."