And, what Mozambique requires, is available in India.
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Aiming to further strengthen and reinvigorate bilateral ties with partners in Africa that were renewed at the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in October past year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a four-nation tour of the African continent on Wednesday night.
Apart from Mozambique and South Africa, Modi will also visit Tanzania and Kenya.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday kicked off a four-nation tour of Africa, as India scrambles to catch up with its Asian rival China’s strong presence on the continent.
The dignitaries noted that both the countries shared a common history of anti colonial struggle. India was one of the strongest supporters of Mozambican independence. Modi reached Maputo, which is the capital of Mozambique, after having flown out from India late last night.
“During the visit, many MoUs are expected to be inked”, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry said. “PM Narendra Modi and President Filipe Nyusi begin with restricted talks”.
“We have agreed to put this on a fast track”, he said.
Referring to the pact signed for purchase of pulses, he said, “We are also strengthening our partnership in food security”.
Modi also said at the summit that India would offer $600 million in grants, including a $100-million development fund and a $10-million health fund.
India Inc is quite enthused by the strong leadership quality of the Prime Minister at a time when the country is grappling with the global head winds and geo-political risks from terrorism, political upheavals in Britain and European Union and the mood swings in the U.S. in the run-up to Presidential elections.
Underlining the complementarity in the relationship, Modi said that Nyusi had highlighted agricultural development as his top priority. Modi said 20,000 Mozambicans can trace their ancestors to India and that they are the bridge to economic ties between the two countries.
Given the terrorist attacks across a large swathe of the world from Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, Modi said he and Nyusi had agreed that terrorism is the “gravest threat” to the world and spoke about bolstering security and defence ties. That could change. Chinese economic growth is losing steam and the slow-down will have an impact on trade, perhaps opening up new opportunities for India.
“The networks of terror are inter-linked with other trans -national crimes”.
The Union Cabinet had earlier on Tuesday gave its approval for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Mozambique on drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals and related matters.
India is hoping that African nations will help it in its quest for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. “By building capacities and institutions, training of personnel, supply of equipment, and in responding to their other emerging needs”, he said.
“We have stood with each other in the worldwide arena on a range of issues”.
Out of earshot of the government officials and the media, Modi will most likely lobby President Jacob Zuma to support India’s bid for full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a plea he has made to heads of state around the world in his recent nonstop foreign travel.
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Sinha further said these countries are also members of International Solar Alliance, which is our initiative.
