India and Spain on Wednesday signed seven agreements, including on cooperation in cyber security and renewable energy, following talks here between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy.
The Prime Minister's visit to Spain saw the two countries sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in cyber security. A second MoU was signed on cooperation in renewable energy.
Three other MoUs were signed on cooperation in organ transplantation, technical cooperation in civil aviation, and between the Foreign Service Institute of India and the Diplomatic Academy of Spain.
Two agreements were also signed on transfer of sentenced persons and waiving of visas for diplomatic passport holders.
Spain is India's seventh largest trading partner in the European Union. Two-way trade totalled USD 5.27 billion in 2016.
Modi encouraged Spanish infrastructure, tourism, energy and defense companies to invest in priority sectors in India, saying "It's a great time for Spanish companies to invest in India."
Earlier in the day, addressing the media ahead of his talks with Rajoy, Modi said terrorism posed the biggest challenge to the world and the fight against this menace formed a key element of India-Spain ties.
He said his visit to Spain would add fresh momentum to bilateral ties.
Modi arrived here from Germany on Tuesday on the second leg of his six-day, four-nation tour of Europe that will also take him to Russia and France.
This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Spain in nearly 30 years since Rajiv Gandhi paid a trip in 1988. Modi and Rajoy last met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Turkey in November 2015.
Later today, Modi will call on King Felipe VI of Spain and would also have a round-table interaction with Spanish business leaders to attract investment into the country.
Modi will also hold a round-table interaction with a select group of Spanish CEOs who are keen to invest and expand their presence in India.
Earlier on Tuesday, Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel headed the biannual India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations following which 12 agreements across various sectors were signed by the two sides. The two leaders also addressed the India-Germany Business Summit in Berlin.
Later, Modi called on President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bellevue Castle in the German capital before departing for Spain.
Following Wednesday's engagements in Spain, Modi will travel to Russia where he will hold the 18th annual bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and attend for the first time the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a business event, the next day.
The Prime Minister will be in Paris on June 2 and 3 where he will hold official talks with newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron with a view to further strengthening India-France strategic ties.
(With agencies)
