IANS

Panaji, May 29: The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) has created a chair in Hindi and Indian Contemporary culture to be established at Lisbon in Portugal, state NRI Affairs Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro said Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Faleiro, a former minister of state for external affairs, said that the Indian embassy in Portugal was in the process of identifying a suitable academic institution where the chair will be set up.

"The Portuguese government promotes the study of Portuguese language and culture in Goa and elsewhere in India, but there is no presence of India at all in the academic circles of Portugal," Faleiro said.

"China has the Institute Confuciu in Portugal, just as the UK has the British Council, and Germany the Goethe Institute. Even France has the Alliance Francaise, but there is no such organisation from India," he said.

"Goa has an obvious connect with Portugal," Faleiro said, referring to the Portuguese colonial rule over Goa for nearly 500 years.