President Droupadi Murmu given City Key of Honour in Lisbon

President Murmu honored in Lisbon ceremony, highlighting strong cultural ties and shared values between India and Portugal.

“Namaskar! Madam President. Apka Lisbon me Swagat hai” is how Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas welcomed President Droupadi Murmu in a ceremony to hand over the City Key of Honour, making her an honorary citizen of the City of Seven Hills.

The President, who is on a two-day state visit to Portugal, was given a Guard of Honour at the Camara Municipal de Lisboa, the historical building where the proclamation of the First Republic of Portugal had taken place from its Noble balcony in 1910.

She was taken to the Noble Salon where the ceremony to hand over the City Key of Honour took place with the room packed with Indians who had settled there.

Mr. Moedas said with the handing over of the City Key of Honour, President Murmu becomes an honorary citizen of Lisbon.

Starting her address with traditional Portuguese greeting ‘Bom Dia’, the President said the cultural connections between "India and Portugal reverberate across centuries and have left an indelible mark on our everyday lives".

She said “shared sense of responsibility in international affairs also makes us natural partners in regional and multilateral fora”.

The President said that "Portugal has been a valued partner of India in promoting our relations with the European Union as well as Lusophone countries, where Portuguese is an official language".