Mr. Modi said that Mr. Nyusi and he had, to advance their shared security interests, agreed to strengthen their defence and security relationship.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Mozambique on Thursday, then South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.
Apart from Mozambique, he will also visit South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.
The visit is aimed at strengthening economic ties, enhancing maritime security and counter balancing China’s growing influence in Africa.
Modi’s visit will follow his Thursday trip around Maputo, Mozambique, which is a first for any Indian prime minister. He is scheduled to meet president Jacob Zuma and his vice as well as visits to Phoenix Settlement and Pietermaritzburg Station, two places very closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi’s stay in South Africa.
“China has been far more active for many years than India and this is the start of a much more engaged India on the continent”, Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, of the South African Institute of International Affairs, told AFP.
“A visit to South Africa is incomplete without remembering the beloved Madiba (Nelson Mandela)”. No Indian airline has direct connections with Africa.
“India will be donating essential medicines for the Mozambican public health system, including medicines for treatment of AIDS”, Modi said.
“South Africa and India share common values and objectives which were forged during the struggle against colonialism and for liberation and democracy in South Africa”, said Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
While talking about the challenges, Mr. Modi said “President Nyusi and I recognise that terrorism is the gravest security threat facing the world today”.
Assocham on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Cabinet reshuffle has conveyed a strong resolve to put a premium on performance of his colleagues to improve quality of governance. “Both our nations have had very strong people-to-people ties and both nations have successfully fought colonialism in the previous century”, the Prime Minister said.
In June this year, to tame spiralling prices of pulses, the government had sent a high-level delegation to Mozambique to explore short and long-term measures to import the commodity on a government-to-government basis.
India and the African countries too have needs that they can mutually fulfil and the former’s burgeoning middle class gives the African states the flawless opportunity for the latter’s goods.
Durban is home to 800,000 of the 1.2 million Indian-origin people in South Africa.
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He said healthcare was another area where India’s capacities and Mozambique’s needs matched well.
