Spain's Sanchez in India, to meet PM Modi in Gujarat today: 7 things to know

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Vadodara, Gujarat on Monday to kick-start his three-day visit to India. During his visit, the Spanish leader will be holding delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit came as India attempts to bolster ties with European nations.

Earlier this month, India hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Upon Sanchez’s arrival, the Ministry of External Affairs took to X, formally known as Twitter, to extend greetings from India. “Bienvenido a India!” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote in a post.

Bienvenido a India!

President of the Government of Spain @sanchezcastejon touches down in Vadodara, marking the first visit by a Spanish President to 🇮🇳 in 18 years.

An official visit to elevate 🇮🇳-🇪🇸 relations to new heights. pic.twitter.com/c95RU3ZGj7

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 27, 2024

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“President of the Government of Spain Pedro Sanchez touches down in Vadodara, marking the first visit by a Spanish President to India in 18 years. An official visit to elevate India-Spain relations to new heights,” the post further reads. The Spanish premier was received by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the Vadodara International Airport. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about Sanchez’s visit.

7 things to know about Sanchez’s visit

• During his visit, the Spanish PM will be inaugurating the Final Assembly Line Plant of C295 aircraft at Vadodara. It is a flagship of the “Make in India” initiative in the aviation sector.

• The plant was set up by Tata Advanced Systems in collaboration with Airbus Spain and Prime Minister Modi will be joining Sanchez in the inauguration ceremony.

• This is Sanchez’s first visit to India which is taking place after 18 years.

• Following this event, the Spanish leader will be visiting Mumbai, where apart from official engagements, he will interact with trade and industry leaders, think tanks, and the film industry.

• Sanchez is scheduled to address the 4th Spain India Forum organised by the Spain-India Council Foundation and the Observer Research Foundation.

• He will also visit several film studios where he will be holding talks with the leading celebrities of the Indian film industry. With this meeting, Sanchez aims to foster greater collaboration between the Indian and Spanish media and entertainment industries.

• Meanwhile, several MoUs/Agreements are expected to be signed during the visit. According to MEA, Sanchez’s visit will be an opportunity for both India and Spain to bolster ties across various sectors, including trade and investment, IT, innovation, infrastructure, renewable energy, defence and security, pharma, agro-tech and biotech, culture and tourism.

With inputs from agencies.