New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday stated that President Droupadi Murmu’s upcoming visit to Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania from July 19 to 25 holds historic importance, noting that it reflects India’s growing engagement with Central and Eastern Europe.Speaking during a special briefing on the President’s visit, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said that the state visits to Moldova and North Macedonia assume significance as they are the first-ever bilateral visits by an Indian President.”These state visits are being undertaken at the invitation of the presidents of the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Romania. The three-nation visit is of considerable historic significance as it marks the first-ever bilateral visits by an Indian president to the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of North Macedonia,” he stated.Reflecting on the bilateral and strategic importance of these visits, George said that it will help reaffirm India’s commitment to strengthening the ties with these countries and engagement with Europe and the European Union.”The three-nation visit reflects India’s growing engagement with Central and Eastern Europe and reaffirms our commitment to strengthening our partnerships with the countries in the region. It also complements India’s broader engagement with Europe and the strategic partnership with the European Union. As you are aware, we had held the TTC, Trade and Technology Council meeting at the ministerial level on July 15 in Brussels,” he said.The MEA Secretary further emphasised that this high-level visit, the first of its kind to these nations in decades, is designed to transition India’s bilateral relationships from mere political goodwill to robust, broad-based strategic partnerships.He noted that the first leg of the visit, beginning July 20, is historic as it marks the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Moldova. With bilateral ties steadily warming, he affirmed that the focus is on elevating cooperation in key sectors.”This would be the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Moldova since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the visit, the President will hold one-to-one and delegation-level talks with the President of Moldova. The President of Moldova will also host a banquet dinner in honour of President Murmu. The President will meet the Prime Minister and the President of the Parliament of Moldova, along with members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group. She will also have interactions with business representatives and members of the Indian diaspora,” he said.He further noted Moldova’s stern condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year and affirmed that it expressed its strong support to India in the fight against global terrorism.Underscoring the key bilateral ties between India and Moldova, he said, “Education has emerged as an important pillar of bilateral relations, with a large number of Indian students pursuing medical education in Moldova, thereby strengthening people-to-people contacts. The proposed visit provides an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and discuss ways to expand cooperation and elevate bilateral relations from political goodwill to a broad-based partnership. A business delegation is expected to accompany President Murmu during the visit, and she will also address a business forum along with the President of Moldova. The visit will be instrumental in fostering strong business-to-business linkages and trade and investment ties.”Regarding the visit to North Macedonia from July 21-22, the MEA secretary stated that President Murmu will visit a nation that has increasingly aligned itself with India’s global security concerns. George called the visit “historic” and noted that President Murmu will hold bilateral and delegation-level talks with her counterpart, along with interactions with business representatives and the Indian diaspora.”The state visit of President Murmu to North Macedonia will be historic, as it would be the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian president to that country… During the visit, President Murmu will hold one-to-one and delegation-level talks with the President of North Macedonia, who will also host a banquet in her honour. President Murmu will meet the Prime Minister and the President of the Parliament of North Macedonia. She will also have an interaction with the business representatives and the Indian community. President will address a business forum along with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia,” the MEA secretary stated.He further recognised the avid support shown by North Macedonia for India following the terror attack in Pahalgam and the support for India’s draft initiative for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations”North Macedonia condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed its strong support to India in the fight against terrorism. It supports India’s draft initiative for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations. India and North Macedonia enjoy friendly and cordial relations. North Macedonia has duty-free exports to EU member countries. Therefore, there are good opportunities for trade and investment for Indian companies. North Macedonia is also interested in positioning itself as a gateway for Indian companies to Europe,” he added.For the final leg of the visit, which concludes in Romania (July 23-25), George noted that it ends a 30-year hiatus in presidential-level visits. The MEA secretary highlighted that as an EU member, Romania represents a critical strategic partner for India’s economic expansion in the region.Reflecting on the important engagements of the President during the visit, George said, “The state visit of President Murmu would be a visit at the presidential level after a period of 3 decades to Romania. During the visit, President Murmu will hold one-to-one and delegation-level talks with the President of Romania. The President of Romania will also host a banquet dinner in her honour. The President will meet the Prime Minister, the President of the Senate, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies. She will address a business forum along with the President of Romania and will also have interactions with business representatives and members of the Indian diaspora.”He affirmed that the focus of the visit is on leveraging the India-EU trade framework to drive investment in high-growth sectors.”Romania strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year and expressed its strong support to India in its fight against terrorism. Bilateral trade has been progressing well and stood at US $1.3 billion in 2025. Bilateral economic engagement is expanding, with Indian companies active in IT, automotive components, steel, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, and manufacturing… Romania’s close economic integration with neighbouring Moldova further enhances its importance as a gateway for Indian companies to access Eastern Europe and a wider European Union market. Romania is also an EU member country. The India-EU FTA will help further enhance trade and investment with Romania and other countries in the region. Defence cooperation is also growing, including cooperation in various IT and cybersecurity areas, expert exchanges, participation in military exercises, and the offer of courses at the Centre for UN Peacekeeping in India,” he added. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)