Swiss President Guy Parmelin started a three-day state visit and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, with trade, technology and mobility on the agenda.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin began a three-day state visit to India on Monday and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Indian Abroad News reported, citing the Ministry of External Affairs.
The visit runs from 5 to 7 October at Modi's invitation. It is Parmelin's first state visit to India and his second trip this year after the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February, Open magazine reported.
Talks were set to review trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, mobility, culture and people-to-people ties, and to cover regional and global issues, the MEA statement quoted by Indian Abroad News said. A business delegation is traveling with the president.
Parmelin said he was glad the stay would mark the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement entering into force. Among EFTA members, Switzerland is India's largest trade and investment partner, the MEA said, according to Open.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called on Parmelin earlier in the day. President Droupadi Murmu was also due to meet him and host a banquet, Open reported. No new agreement text was published in these accounts.