New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Bulgaria and Finland from June 10 to 11, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday.
As per the statement, Jaishankar will visit Bulgaria on June 10, where he is expected to meet the Bulgarian leadership and hold discussions with his counterpart on bilateral and global issues of mutual interest.
The External Affairs Minister will then travel to Finland on June 11 to participate in the 14th edition of the Kultaranta Talks. This year’s event is being held under the theme, “A World in Transition: Global, Regional and Local Perspectives”. During the visit, he is also expected to hold meetings with his Finnish counterpart and other senior leaders, the MEA said.
The MEA noted that relations between India and Bulgaria are longstanding, warm and friendly. The two countries, both ancient civilisations, share strong cultural ties. People-to-people contacts and cultural links between India and Bulgaria predate the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1954, with traces of interaction dating back to the 8th Century AD.
India and Finland also maintain traditionally warm and friendly relations. In recent years, the bilateral partnership has expanded in areas including research, innovation and investment cooperation. The Indian community in Finland is described as vibrant and well-integrated, while Indian culture and yoga continue to enjoy significant popularity in the country.
Finland appointed its resident Ambassador to India in 1949, and its Embassy in New Delhi became the first Asian mission established by the Nordic nation. India opened its Embassy in Helsinki in 1968.
According to the MEA, bilateral trade between India and Finland reached EUR 3.0 billion in 2022. Goods trade stood at EUR 1,401 million, while trade in services reached EUR 1,650 million. The ministry stated that trade data until September 2023 reflected a stable trend of around EUR 2,315 million, indicating continued economic engagement between the two countries.
