Prince Alois, the hereditary prince of Liechtenstein, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, where he expressed his country’s determination to strengthen ties with India and expand economic cooperation.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Prince Alois and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was also present.
Speaking to reporters, Prince Alois described the trip as Liechtenstein’s first state visit to India and said it reflected the importance his country attached to the relationship.
“I am very honoured to be in India on the occasion of Liechtenstein’s first state visit to this remarkable country,” he said, thanking President Murmu and PM Modi for the invitation and welcome.
The Prince called the India–European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which entered into force in 2025, a significant milestone in bilateral ties.
“We are determined to build on this momentum and strengthen our ties with India even further,” he said.
Prince Alois identified innovation, advanced manufacturing, financial services, education and technology as areas with considerable potential for economic cooperation. The two countries, he said, possessed complementary strengths that could benefit both sides.
Prince Alois is scheduled to hold talks with PM Modi at Hyderabad House later on Tuesday. Their discussions are expected to cover trade and investment, science, technology, innovation and people-to-people exchanges, along with regional and global developments.
His engagements in New Delhi also include paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and meetings with Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary. He is also scheduled to meet President Murmu, who will host a banquet in his honour.
Prince Alois arrived in New Delhi from Vadodara on Monday and was received at the airport by Chaudhary. He began his visit in Mumbai and is accompanied by a high-level official delegation and a business delegation comprising industry leaders.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit would provide renewed impetus to bilateral relations and create opportunities for partnerships in new areas of mutual interest, particularly following the operationalisation of India–EFTA TEPA.
India and Liechtenstein established diplomatic relations in 1993. Prince Alois previously visited India in 2010 and 2018 and attended the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February 2026. The delegation is scheduled to depart on Wednesday.
(With agency inputs)
