By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil heads to Europe Friday on an eight-day trip that will take her to Austria and Switzerland, where she will unveil a bust of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
During her four-day visit to Switzerland starting Friday, Patil will hold wide-ranging talks with Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey and other senior members of the Swiss cabinet.
The talks will focus on ways to intensify trade and investment between the two countries.
She will unveil a bust of Tagore at the University of Lausanne Oct 4 for the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of the Nobel laureate.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a ‘Tagore Chair’ on Indian Studies between the University and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations will also be signed during her visit, the external affairs ministry said ahead of Patil’s visit.
During her visit to Austria Oct 4-7, Patil will hold delegation-level discussions with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.
She will also meet Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann and Barbara Prammer, speaker of the Austrian Parliament.
“The forthcoming visit of the president will consolidate the existing close and multifaceted relations with the two countries,” the ministry said.
She will address a joint business forum and meet the Indian community in both countries.