With the objective of expanding India’s outreach in Africa, President Pranab Mukherjee will embark on a three-nation visit to the continent including Ghana, Namibia and Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) from June 12 to 18.
He will hold delegation level talks with the heads of the States and some agreements regarding trade, information and technology and related issues are likely to be announced.
India and Namibia are also likely to discuss the issue of supply of uranium as Nambia is world’s fourth largest producer of this mineral. The two countries had inked an agreement for trade in uranium in 2009 for peaceful use of the mineral by India.
However, the agreement did not move forward as Namibia is a member of the African Union and has to take its consent before selling uranium to India. Moreover, Namibian Government has to get the trade agreement ratified by its Parliament.
Indications from Namibia in the past few months suggest that the African country is keen to move forward on the issue and the delegations of two countries will discuss it during Mukherjee’s visit, Secretary(Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs Amar Sinha said here on Wednesday.
Briefing mediapersons about the President’s visit, he said, Mukherjee is the first head of the State to visit Namibia in the last 21 years. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee had visited the country in 1998. India has close ties with this African country and backed its independence struggle.
Sinha said the two countries are likely to sign four MOUs including Defence, information technology and public administration. The Defence pact comprises training. He also said public sector undertaking Rashtriya Chemical and Fertilisers(RCF) is keen to set up a gas based plant over one billion dollars in Namibia and two delegations may also take it up.
Beside officials, the President will be accompanied by MPs from various political parties for the three- country visit, Sinha said adding democracy has taken roots in these nations and have long standing ties with India.
As regards Ghana and Cote d’Iviore, he said Mukherjee is the first Indian head of State to visit these countries. Underlying the importance of the visit, he said Ghana and India have a trade worth of over five billion dollars in the fields of information technology and pharmaceuticals and the commerce has increased three-fold in the last few years.
Moreover, Ghana imports cereals, wheat and rice from India and as developmental partner of the African country, New Delhi has extended a credit of more than half billon dollars. Also, India has helped in expanding rural electrification network there besides setting up sugar plants, he said.
The President will be accorded the highest civilian award in Cote d’Ivoire. It has got a stable democratically elected Government after a decade long civil war and India is keen to do business with it, Sihna said.
The EXIM Bank will reopen its branch there shortly after it was forced to relocate it during the strife. The two countries have a one billion dollar trade and India imports cashew in large quantities from there.