Madrid– In a bid to boost India-Spain business and investment ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs of leading Spanish companies here on Wednesday.

“PM @narendramodi interacts with CEOs of leading Spanish companies with global footprint,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

There are around 200 Spanish companies in India and they are keen to invest and expand their presence in India.

Earlier on Wednesday, addressing the media ahead of holding talks with his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy, Modi said Spain has made rapid strides in its economy while his government’s top priority too was India’s economic growth and development.

India and Spain can cooperate in so many areas, including infrastructure. We must have even closer economic ties: PM @narendramodi

He said Spain can offer its expertise to India’s development priorities like railways, smart cities and infrastructure.

Economic partnership is an important pillar of India’s engagement with Spain and Spanish companies have a reputation in fields like renewable energy, high speed rail, infrastructure, tunnelling, technology solution including civil aviation, air space management and waste water management.

Their expertise and competencies fit in well with India’s flagship development programmes.

Modi arrived here from Germany on Tuesday on the second leg of his six-day, four-nation tour of Europe that will also take him to Russia and France.

This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Spain in nearly 30 years since Rajiv Gandhi paid a trip in 1988.