New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a state visit to three African nations — Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi, from October 13-19, which is a reflection of India-Africa “growing partnership”, the MEA said on Wednesday.
This will be the “first ever visit” by an Indian president to the three African nations, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA, Dammu Ravi, at a briefing here said the visit comes after the African Union became a member of the G20 at its summit last year under the Indian presidency of the grouping.
“This visit should be seen in the context of Africa as a continent and how India wishes to engage, and is looking at having a stronger partnership with Africa. It’s a reflection of India-Africa growing partnership,” he said.
Africa includes 54 countries and forms the “core of the Global South”, Ravi said.
The first leg of President Murmu’s three-nation visit will begin from Algeria, then onward to Mauritania, and it will end with Malawi.
Algeria is the largest country in the African continent.
Secretary (CPV & OIA) in the MEA, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, said President Murmu will visit Algeria at the invitation of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, from October 13-15.
“This will be the first-ever visit by the President of India to Algeria…Also, this visit will take place within a month after President Tebboune’s swearing-in for his second term in office,” he said.
India and Algeria have “very strong bonds of friendship”, and the bilateral relations have been “warm and cordial” and “we supported each other’s freedom movements and struggle against colonialism”, Chatterjee added.
The then Vice President Hamid Ansari had visited Algeria in October 2016, he said.
India recently opened a defence wing at its embassy in Algiers, and Algeria has now also opened their defence wing in New Delhi, Chatterjee said.
In Algiers, Murmu will also attend an Indian community reception on October 13.
On October 14, she will pay her respects at the Maqam Echahid, a memorial built to honour the martyrs in the Algerian war of independence, the MEA said.
She will also address the Algeria-India Economic Forum, and the next day will visit Sidi Abdellah Scientific and Technological Pole university where an honorary doctorate degree will be conferred on her.
During the visit, President Murmu will hold bilateral talks with her counterpart. Several Algerian dignitaries including President of the Council of Nation (Upper House of the Algerian Parliament) and President of National People’s Assembly (Lower House of the Algerian Parliament) are expected to call on her, the MEA said in a statement.
She will also inaugurate the ‘India Corner’ at Hamma Garden at Jardin d’essai.
The next leg of her visit would be Mauritania which is currently the chair of the African Union.
“The timing is very important for us, and we see it as an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relations with Mauritania,” Ravi said.
Four MoUs in areas of culture, foreign office institutions, foreign office consultations and visa waiver agreements for diplomatic and official passport holders, will be signed during her visit to Mauritania, he said.
She will also interact with members of a small Indian community, numbering about 100-150, Ravi added.
During the visit, President Murmu will hold talks with the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. Prime minister and foreign minister of Mauritania are also expected to call on President Murmu, the MEA said.
Ravi said India opened its Mission in June 2021 in Mauritania capital Nouakchott.
The visit will provide further impetus to India-Mauritania bilateral relations, the ministry said.
President Murmu will reach Malawi on October 17, visiting it at the invitation of the President of Malawi, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
During her three-day visit, Murmu will hold bilateral meetings with Malawi’s leadership; interact with key trade and industry leaders and the Indian diaspora; and visit places of cultural and historical significance.
“The visit will reaffirm our strong commitment to further strengthen our existing friendly and cordial relations with Malawi,” the MEA said.
Three MoUs in the fields of youth affairs and cultural exchange will be signed.
The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1964, so the visit comes at a time of 60th anniversary of the ties, Ravi said.
This three-nation visit will be an opportunity to “deepen and broaden” relations with Africa and also bilaterally with these countries, Ravi added.
On a query on whether Algeria seeks to become member of the BRICS, the Secretary (ER) said the expansion of the BRICS is a process, and it started off during the Chairship of South Africa last year, and some countries could get in.
“And, you know, the process of expansion is based on a consensus basis. All the countries will have to agree. For some reason or the other, Algeria was not part of the first wave of the expansion, but it is very much a candidate in the second wave. So we’ll have to see how it goes.
It’s just not India supporting it, I think, all the member countries will have to take a call as to who can come in this expansion of the BRICS. So, we’ll leave it at that, because the Kazan Summit is due on 22nd onwards. So the major decisions will be taken about the expansion in Kazan, where the Prime Minister will be representing the country,” he said. PTI KND KVK KVK
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