President leaves on 8-day visit to Switzerland, Austria

New Delhi (PTI) - Indian President Pratibha Patil
on Friday left on a visit to Switzerland and Austria during
which she will hold bilateral talks with the leadership there
on the issue of blackmoney stashed away by Indians in Swiss
banks and other key matters.
Patil would be in Switzerland till October 4 and then
will travel to Austria for a state visit from October 4 to 7.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Speaker of Lok Sabha
(Lower House of Indian Parliament) Meira Kumar and External
Affairs Minister S M Krishna were among a host of dignitaries
who met her before her departure.
The President will be accompanied by a 45-member
business delegation led by former FICCI President and Chairman
of Modi Enterprises K K Modi, Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla, Members of Parliament
Vijay Jawaharlal Darda, Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, and Chinta
Mohan.
Patil would also be visiting the prestigious European
Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The facility is one
of the most important areas of research in particle physics.
During the trip, some agreements are also likely to be
signed.
In Switzerland, the President will pay homage to Mahatma
Gandhi on October 2 at his statue in Geneva.
While in Berne, the President will hold official talks
with the President of the Swiss Confederation Micheline
Calmy-Rey, and other members of the Federal Council.
The President will also unveil a bust of Rabindranath
Tagore at the University of Lausanne on October 4.
An MoU is expected to be signed between the University
and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations on setting up of
Chair on Indian Studies.
In Austria, Patil will meet her counterpart Heinz
Fischer and the Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann.
The President will also visit the Austrian Parliament
and meet the President of the National Council, Barbara
Prammer and members of the Friends of India Group in the
Austrian Parliament.
While in Switzerland and Austria, the President will
meet and address members of the Indian community.
There are around 15,500 Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)
in Switzerland and around 20,000 PIOs in Austria.
The President will address the Indo-Swiss Business
Forumin Berne on October 4 and the India-Austria Business
Forum Meet in Vienna on October 6.