New Delhi: Marking the first-ever visit of an Indian President to Turkmenistan, President Ram Nath Kovind is scheduled to visit the Central Asian country from April 1 to 4, as informed by the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday. The visit comes just after Serdar Berdimuhamedov was sworn in as the new President of Turkmenistan on March 19, 2022.
During the visit, President Kovind will meet the new President of Turkmenistan to discuss issues regarding bilateral and regional cooperation, including the implementation of the outcomes of the India-Central Asia Summit held in January 2022. Some agreements/MoUs are also expected to be signed during the visit.
The visit to Turkmenistan will also be followed by a state visit of the President of India to the Kingdom of Netherlands between April 4 and 7 at the invitation of King Willem – Alexander and Queen Maxima. During his visit to the Netherlands, the President will hold discussions with His Royal Majesties and Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
The upcoming visit is significant considering that India and the Netherlands are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. In 2021, during the Virtual Summit held between the Prime Ministers of the two countries, a Strategic Partnership on Water was launched to enhance the level of engagement between the two sides in this important sector.
Cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, health, urban development, science and technology are other important pillars of the bilateral relationship. The Netherlands is also an important economic and commercial partner of India with the country being India’s fourth-largest FDI source. It also hosts the largest Indian diaspora in continental Europe.
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