India and Portugal
摘要
Portugal shares one of the longest relationships with India. Since independence, relations were tense over the status of Portuguese colonies in India. Following the democratization in Portugal, the end of Cold War constraints, and India’s liberalization since 1991 opened a new chapter of more fruitful engagements between the two countries. Portugal was keen to strengthen relations with India both at bilateral and EU level and organized the first EU-India summit in Lisbon in 2000. Relationship got another boost under Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014, while Portugal presidency of the EU played once again an important role in bringing closer Europe and India in 2021. The chapter examines the evolution and state of Indo-Portuguese political, economic, and cultural relations from 1947 to the present. It evaluates the gradual evolution of a pragmatic partnership anchored in democratic values and economic potential.