Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, will pay a State Visit to the Hellenic Republic (Greece), Suriname and Cuba from June 16-24, 2018. Rashtrapatiji will be accompanied by Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Minister of State for Steel, two Members of Parliament
and other officials.
On the first leg of his three-nation tour, Rashtrapatiji will visit thr Hellenic Republic from 16-19 June, 2018 at the invitation of the President of Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos. India’s links with Greece go back to antiquity
to the days of King Alexander and King Porus. In modern times, both countries share common values of democracy, rule of law and pluralism. India has substantial economic ties with Greece with an annual bilateral trade of around half a billion US Dollars. There
have been regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. The last visit from India at the level of Head of State was in 2007. Greek Prime Minister visited India in 2008 and 2010.
During the visit, Rashtrapatiji will have a meeting with President Pavlopoulos. The Prime Minister of Greece and the Greek Leader of the Opposition will separately call on Rashtrapatiji. Additionally, Rashtrapatiji will attend the India-Greece CEOs Breakfast
Meeting and address the CEOs. He will deliver a speech at the Hellenic Foundation for Europe and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP). Rashtrapatiji will also address the members of Indian diaspora during the visit.
Rashtrapatiji will be in Suriname from June 19 to 21, 2018. During the visit Rashtrapatiji will hold discussions with President Desire Delano Bouterse followed by official level talks.
India shares close, warm and friendly relations with Suriname which are cemented by the Indian Diaspora. PIOs constitute approximately 37% of the Suriname’s population. Suriname has been celebrating 145th years of their arrival in Suriname. A number of agreements
and MoUs in the areas of Health & Medicine, elections, information technology, collaboration between the diplomatic institutions of India and Suriname, Ayurveda and traditional medicines and employment of dependents of the diplomatic staff of both the countries
are scheduled to be signed during the visit.
Suriname is a founding member of the International Solar Alliance. Developmental assistance is being offered to Suriname for the solar power related projects. Lines of Credit for power transmission & infrastructure and maintenance of Chetak Helicopters which
Suriname purchased in 2015 are being offered. Hon’ble Rashtrapatiji will be laying the foundation stone for the new building of the India Cultural Centre, to be called as Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre for which Government of Suriname has gifted a plot
of land. Rashtrapatiji will preside over the yoga celebrations on the International Yoga Day on June 21 in the presence of the President of Suriname, the international community and the Indian Diaspora.
Hon’ble Rashtrapatiji will be in Cuba from June 21-22, 2018. He will hold a wide range of discussions with the Cuban President Mr. Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. President Diaz-Canel visited India in his capacity as the First Vice President in March 2015. It will
be the first ever visit of the President of India to Cuba since Cuban Revolution in 1959.
Before reaching Havana, the capital of Cuba, Rashtrapatiji will lay a wreath on the grave of India’s long time friend Fidel Castro in the eastern part of the country, at the second largest city, Santiago de Cuba.
India shares close, warm and historical relations with Cuba. Cuba shares India’s views on the reform of the Security Council and continues to express abiding support to India in the UN body elections. Views on critical international issues ranging from trade
to environment to disarmament are similar. Both India and Cuba are the founders of NAM.India has been rendering development assistance to Cuba from time to time. In the recent past (January 2018) India has donated 60 tractors with accessories and medicines
and medical equipment to Cuba
Cuba is the founding member of International Solar Alliance. India would be offering a soft loan to Cuba for solar projects. Another Line of Credit of US$ 160.3 million for the renewable energy projects, Wind Farm and power co-generation, has recently been
signed. A number of agreements and MoUs in the areas of bio-technology, research and education in homeopathic medicine, traditional system of medicine and medicinal plants would be signed during the visit of the Rashtrapatiji.
New Delhi
June 13, 2018