New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (December 19) met his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa at Hyderabad House. This is the third meeting between the two leaders in the last three years.

Costa is on a two-day visit to India on an invitation extended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the second meeting of the Organising Committee for celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

 The Organising Committee meeting would be presided over by President Ram Nath Kovind.

 Costa's present visit to India is his first bilateral visit outside Europe after being re-elected as the Prime Minister on October 6, 2019.

 "The high-level political exchanges between India and Portugal have imparted a robust momentum to bilateral relations, including in several new areas such as science and technology, defence, startups, shipping, youth exchanges and culture. This visit would provide another opportunity to the leaders to review the whole gamut of bilateral relations and forge closer cooperation in areas of mutual interest," the ministry of external affairs said.