India and Mozambique on Thursday agreed to fast-track agricultural cooperation after delegation-level discussions headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi here.
The two nations signed three agreements on security, enhancing defence ties and purchase of pulses from Mozambique for India.
“Mozambique’s strengths are also the areas of India’s needs. And what Mozambique requires is available in India,” Modi said in a joint Press statement with Nyusi.
Observing that Nyusi had highlighted agricultural development as his top priority, he said experts from both sides have since held discussions on how to work together to improve agricultural infrastructure and productivity in Mozambique.
“Today, we agreed to put this cooperation on the fast track,” Modi said.
As per the agreement India will encourage greater production of pulses in Mozambique with an assurance that it will be purchased by India at mutually-agreed price. While India generally has shortfall of pulses leading to price rise, Mozambique grows the commodity without much consumption locally. The agreement will be a “win-win” for the two countries.
Stating that the both the countries were strengthening their partnership in food security, Modi said, “India’s commitment to buy pulses from Mozambique would help meet India’s requirement. It will also facilitate long-term investments in commercial farming, generate farm employment and raise incomes of farmers in this country.”
Modi also said that India wants to build on its already flourishing trade and investment ties with Mozambique.
Speaking at a banquet hosted in his honour by Nyusi, Modi said India applauded Mozambique as one of the fastest-growing economies of the world in recent decades.
“Our trade and investment ties have particularly flourished in recent years. We want to build further on it. For this, India remains ready and committed to share its experiences, technology, capacity and concessional credit with Mozambique, in line with your priorities,” he said.
Mozambique is the destination of around a quarter of India’s investments in Africa totalling around $8 billion. The Prime Minister said health care was another area in which India’s capacities and Mozambican needs match well.
“India will be donating essential medicines for the Mozambican public health system, including medicines for treatment of AIDS,” he said. Modi also stressed on the safety and security of the people of the two countries.
While talking about the challenges, Modi said, “President Nyusi and I recognize that terrorism is the gravest security threat facing the world today. Mozambique and India are no exceptions. Terrorism impacts India and Mozambique equally.”
His comments assume significance as these came against the backdrop of spurt in terror attacks in various parts of the world. This included the second major terror attack in less than a week in India’s neighbour Bangladesh just hours before Modi spoke.
India will also help build capacities of Mozambique’s security forces, Modi said with a vow to “walk every step” with this country on its path of development and progress.
“We will work together to support the Mozambican Defence forces. By building capacities and institutions, training of personnel, supply of equipment, and in responding to their other emerging needs,” Modi said.
He said an agreement signed between the two sides on prevention of drug trafficking was a testimony to the shared determination to combat the menace of terrorism and its networks.
Modi said that with India and Mozambique being connected by the Indian Ocean, there were many economic opportunities
“But, we are also aware of the emerging strategic and security challenges in the maritime domain. To advance our shared security interests, the President and I have today agreed to strengthen our Defence and security relationship,” he said.
Modi said that India and Mozambique stood with each other in the international arena on a range of issues.
“From the reform of UN Security Council, to the adoption of June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. last year, at the COP-21 Summit in Paris, India led a major effort to promote solar energy as a source of renewable energy. For this, we formed the International Solar Alliance to counter climate change. The Alliance has the support of over 120 countries and we greatly value Mozambique’s partnership in this initiative,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome after his arrival in Maputo on the first leg of his four-nation Africa tour.
Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Mozambique in 34 years, recalled the “struggles” and “sufferings” of the two countries during the colonial days and said India had been the strongest supporter of Mozambique’s independence.
“Our shared struggles and suffering under colonial oppression brought our two countries together. India was one of the strongest supporters of Mozambican independence,” said the Prime Minister who also visited the National Assembly here.
He said the relationship between India and Mozambique should not remain stuck in the past and informed that his talks with Nyusi had covered the aspects like “shared vision” for a stronger partnership in years ahead.
“In fact, Mozambique has already been one of the gateways for Indian investments into Africa. About one fourth of all Indian investments in Africa are in Mozambique. Our ties of commerce and trade have continued to grow over the last decade,” he said, expressing confidence that Indian investments will continue to receive a nurturing environment in Mozambique under Nyusi’s leadership.
He said he had chosen this country as his first stopover in the four-nation tour that will also include South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya, as Nyusi had also made India his first stopover during his Asian tour last year.
Modi presented to the Mozambique President a booklet in English brought out by the Indian High Commission to act as a guide to the Indian businessmen who may like to invest in this country whose national language is Portuguese.
“We applaud Mozambique as one of the fastest growing economies of the world in recent decades. Excellency, as two developing countries we face similar challenges. Our development and economic partnership, therefore, has been an essential part of our relationship,” he said later at the banquet.
Modi said the relationship between the two countries is not new as thousands of Indian-origin people call Mozambique their home. “I am told that most of the Siddi community that resides in parts of India is known to trace its ancestry to Mozambique. These communities are a living testimony to age old links that have connected our people, their ideas and traditions, and culture and commerce,” he said.
Modi met President of the Mozambique National Assembly Veronica Macamo. During the meeting, they exchanged views on the practices and procedures of their respective Parliaments.
The Prime Minister lauded the fact that 93 out of 250 Mozambican parliamentarians were women. He alluded to the visit of a Mozambican Parliamentary delegation to study India’s electoral system in general and Electronic Voting Machines in particular.
He invited Macamo to lead a delegation to India and also called for the formation of a group of young parliamentarians from both countries.