New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly welcomed the Swiss Confederation President upon his arrival at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.Parmelin arrived in India on Monday for a three-day State visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. The visit is set to focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, science, technology, innovation and mobility.  According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), President Parmelin is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior officials and business leaders. This will be his first State visit to India and his second visit to the country this year. 

He had earlier visited India in February 2026 to participate in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi and President Parmelin will hold bilateral discussions to review progress in cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, mobility, culture and people-to-people contactThe two leaders will also exchange views on regional and global developments, including cooperation in multilateral fora.During his visit, President Parmelin will also meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will host an official banquet in his honour. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar will also call on the Swiss President.The visit assumes particular significance as President Parmelin will participate in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7. The event will mark the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) coming into force.

The MEA highlighted Switzerland's importance as an economic partner, stating that among the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, Switzerland is India's largest trade and investment partner.The ministry also underlined the longstanding ties between the two countries and the importance of regular high-level exchanges in taking the relationship forward."India and Switzerland share longstanding friendly relations. This visit will further strengthen bilateral relations, building upon the regular high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest," the MEA said.The visit comes against the backdrop of sustained high-level engagement between India and Switzerland. The last State visit of the President of India to Switzerland took place in 2019, while Prime Minister Modi paid official visits to Switzerland in 2016 and 2018.

/IANS