PM Narendra Modi cancels France, Portugal visits

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called off his planned visits to Portugal and France early next month due to rising Covid-19 cases at home. Instead, he will hold a virtual summit with European Union leaders.

Modi was scheduled to travel to Porto for what would have been a historic summit with 27 EU leaders on May 8.

“In view of the Covid-19 situation, it has been decided, in consultation with the EU and Portuguese leadership, to hold the India-EU Leaders’ Meeting in a virtual format,” an external affairs ministry spokesperson said. “The India-EU Leaders’ Meeting in the EU+27 format, the first time that such a meeting is being held, reflects the shared ambition of both sides to further deepen the strategic partnership.”


Modi was also scheduled to visit Paris for a bilateral meet with French President Emmanuel Macron amid widening of strategic partnership between New Delhi and Paris.

ET has learnt that it is unlikely that the prime minister will travel under the current circumstances when the country is experiencing a huge spike in infection and has more than two million active cases of Covid-19.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has already called off his visit to India later this month, ET has learnt.

The external affairs ministry is now in consultation with various countries on other incoming and outgoing visits that were planned next week and in May.Russian deputy prime minister Yury Borisov was scheduled to visit India next week in preparations for the annual summit. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was also planning a trip to Delhi towards end of this month.

The India-EU summit was expected to witness progress on a proposed Free Trade Agreement, an Investment’s Protection Agreement and an Agreement on Geographical Indications, as Portuguese Ambassador to India Carlos Pereira Marques had told ET before the rethink on Modi’s visit.The EU Council had on Monday, ahead of the summit, adopted conclusions on the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, advocating stability, strong partnership with India and an “open and fair” environment for trade and investment.