Vadodara, Oct 28: Spanish President Pedro Sanchez arrived in Vadodara, Gujarat, in the early hours of Monday for his three-day visit to India, during which he will be holding delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday in a statement

Upon his arrival, the MEA took to social media platform X greeting the Spanish leader, "Bienvenido a India!"

"President of the Government of Spain@sanchezcastejon 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," said the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Monday on X.

"I am embarking on my first official trip to India with the aim of reviving our bilateral relations. India is a key player and a very prominent voice in the international community with whom we will address many of the joint challenges that lie ahead," the Spanish President posted on X.

President Sanchez was received by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the Vadodara International Airport.

During his visit, the Spanish President will be inaugurating the Final Assembly Line Plant of C295 aircraft at Vadodara, a flagship "Make in India" initiative in the aviation sector, along with PM Modi.

The plant is been set up by Tata Advanced Systems in collaboration with Airbus Spain.

Prior to the Spanish President's visit, the city of Vadodara had been decked up with beautiful lights.

This is the first visit of President Sanchez to India which is also taking place after 18 years.

President Sanchez will also visit Mumbai, where, apart from official engagements. He will interact with trade and industry leaders, think-tanks, and the film industry.

He will address the fourth Spain India Forum organised by the Spain-India Council Foundation and the Observer Research Foundation.

He will also visit prominent film studios where he will interact with leading celebrities in Indian movie industries, to foster greater collaboration between the Indian and Spanish media and entertainment industry.

Several MoUs/Agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, which will give a fillip to bilateral cooperation.

President Sanchez's visit will be an opportunity to review the entire gamut of our bilateral relations and further deepen the partnership across various sectors, including trade and investment, IT, innovation, infrastructure, renewable energy, defence and security, pharma, agro-tech, and biotech, culture, and tourism, the MEA said.

--IANS

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