Lisbon: President Droupadi Murmu and her Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa jointly released a set of special commemorative stamps on Monday, celebrating the 50th anniversary of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The stamps, beautifully highlighting the vibrant traditional costumes of both countries, feature a Portuguese woman elegantly dressed in the vivid red ‘Viana do Castelo’ festive attire alongside an Indian woman adorned in the intricately embroidered Black Kalbelia dress.
The two leaders met at the Palacio de Belem, the official residence of the President of Portugal, where they held a tete-a-tete followed by delegation-level talks.
“The joint release of such commemorative stamps is a rare and significant occasion, with India Post having issued only 35 similar stamps since 1991,” Jitendra Gupta, the Director General of India Post, told PTI.
A total of 2,765 stamps have been released since Independence, out of which 877 stamps have been released to commemorate national and international personalities and 316 stamps have been released to commemorate institutions, officials said.
There are 32 issues from India on international institutions like the UN, ILO, UNICEF, UPU etc, to underscore their role in fostering global cooperation, they said.
The issue of a joint postage stamp on ’50 Years of re-establishment of Diplomatic Relations between India and Portugal’ is a glorious addition to this tradition. The event marks a unique bridge, celebrating shared themes and monumental milestones between the two countries, they said.
These stamps transcend geographical and political boundaries, offering a lasting symbol of dialogue, understanding, and goodwill between the two nations, they added.
President Murmu’s two-day State Visit to Portugal, which commenced on Monday, comes at a time of heightened engagement between India and Europe, with both sides hopeful of finalizing a Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year.
Her visit started with a ceremonial guard of honour at the iconic Pra a do Imp rio square in Lisbon, an expansive rectangular space with passages and green spaces that converge in the central illuminated fountain on a square platform.
This visit, hailed as “historic,” marks the 27th anniversary since the last visit by an Indian President to Portugal, and it coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In the morning, President Murmu paid homage to Luís Vaz de Camões, Portugal’s revered national poet, by laying a wreath at his tomb in the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a Unesco World Heritage site.
The monastery also houses the tomb of the legendary Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, whose epoch-making voyage to India in 1498 opened the maritime trade routes between Europe and Asia.
President Murmu arrived in Lisbon on Sunday, embarking on the first leg of her four-day visit to Portugal and the Slovak Republic.
She was received at the military airbase of Figo Maduro by Ambassador Puneet R Kundal of India and Ambassador João Ribeiro de Almeida of Portugal.
