New York, Sept. 24: India and Portugal have decided to re-establish diplomatic relations, healing a rupture which had persisted ever since India become independent 27 years ago.

After a 90-minute meeting here to-day between India’s External Affairs Minister, Mr. Swaran Singh, and the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Mr. Mario Soares, the two Ministers subscribed to a communique which said the two countries had agreed to hold in the immediate future meetings between their representatives aimed at implementing the agreement reached to-day to re-establish Diplomatic and Consular relations, and for concluding a cultural agreement.

The communique added that the new Portuguese Government, which had overthrown the remnants of the Salazar regime in Lisbon earlier this year, was ready to recognise the full sovereignty of India over the former Portuguese territories of Goa, Daman, Dieu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which had become part of the territory of India following their liberation from the Portuguese colonial rule in 1961.

For its part India as in the case of the former French territories, has agreed to co-operate with Lisbon for the promotion of Portuguese language and culture and for the preservation of historical monuments in Goa and other former Portuguese possessions.