President Murmu ends Europe tour, boosts India ties with Moldova and Romania

Bucharest,UPDATED: Jul 25, 2026 17:20 IST

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday concluded her three-nation tour of Europe, during which India held talks with Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania to further strengthen bilateral ties in areas including trade, tourism and defence.

The tour included landmark visits to all three countries, with Murmu becoming the first Indian head of state to visit Moldova and the first Indian president to visit North Macedonia. Her visit to Romania was also the first by an Indian head of state in more than three decades.

Murmu began the tour with a state visit to Moldova on July 20, during which she held talks with Moldovan President Maia Sandu covering the full range of bilateral ties. The two sides also agreed to step up cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including agriculture, logistics and infrastructure, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, renewable energy and innovation.

She then visited North Macedonia from July 21 to 22. During the visit, both countries agreed to double bilateral trade and discussed cooperation in tourism, hospitality and filmmaking. The discussions took place during Murmu's meeting with President Gordana Sijanovska-Davkova, followed by delegation-level talks. Murmu also addressed the Assembly of North Macedonia and the inaugural session of the India-North Macedonia Business Forum.

Murmu arrived in Romania on July 23. During the visit, India and Romania agreed to double trade over the next three years and deepen cooperation in defence and other key areas. She held talks on bilateral ties with Romanian President Nicusor Dan, addressed the India-Romania Business Forum in Bucharest on Friday, and separately met Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan for wide-ranging discussions. The President also interacted with members of the India-Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group.

There are more than 13,500 Indians in Romania, including around 10,000 workers. During the visit, Murmu was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The "Doctor Honoris Causa" is the university's highest academic distinction and is awarded to eminent personalities for exceptional contributions to academia, public service and international cooperation. On Saturday, before leaving for the airport, she also met members of the Indian community.

Murmu's tour of Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania focused on expanding India's engagement with the three countries, with discussions spanning trade, investment, tourism, defence and other sectors of cooperation.

With PTI Inputs

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