Indian Prez embarks on a 8-day two-nation trip

India’s President, Pratibha Patil, on Friday embarked on an eight-day two-nation visit to Switzerland and Austria. Patil would be visiting Switzerland from September 30 to October 4 and then will travel to Austria for a state visit from October 4 to 7. During the visit, she will hold a series of bilateral talks with the leadership there. 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. Patil would also be visiting the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. The facility is one of the most important areas of research in particle physics. The President will address the Indo-Swiss Business Forum in Berne on October 4 Meanwhile, in Austria, Patil will meet her counterpart Heinz Fischer and the Federal Chancellor of Austria, 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. She will also address the India-Austria Business Forum Meet in Vienna on October 6. During the trip, some official agreements are also likely to be signed. Besides, a 45-member business delegation led by former Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (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 will also accompany the President. Two-way trade in 2010 between India and Switzerland touched USD 3.8 billion and between Austria and India it was over USD 1.2 billion. 'Both Switzerland and Austria are renowned for their experience and expertise in activities in the high technology related area, renewable and clean energy, infrastructure development, vocational education, small and medium enterprises, drugs and pharmaceuticals, biotechnology besides others. 'The presence of the business delegation will allow both sides to consider the opportunities which exists in not only taking forward the current commercial exchanges but in also considering the considerable untapped potential which so exists,' said M Ganapathi, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, while briefing reporters on Patil's eight-day visit in New Delhi on Thursday. He said that the President would discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations and also regional and international issues during the meeting with the leaders of the two countries. In Switzerland and Austria, the President will also meet and address the members of the Indian community. There are around 15,500 Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) in Switzerland and around 20,000 PIOs in Austria.