NEW DELHI :
PRESIDENT Droupadi
Murmu on Saturday departed for a six-day State visit to
Angola and Botswana as
part of India’s efforts to
open up new avenues for
collaboration and expanding partnership with the
two countries in the African
region. This will be the
first-ever State visit by an
Indian head of State to
these countries.
Murmu will reach the
Angolan capital of Luanda
and hold high-level engagements between November 8
and 11.
She will be in
Gaborone, the capital of
Botswana, from November
11 to 13. Murmu will hold
bilateral talks with her
Angolan counterpart Joao
Manuel Goncalves
Lourenco and attend the
50th anniversary celebrations of the African nation’s
independence.
She is also scheduled to
address the Angolan parliament and interact with
members of the Indian
community in that country.
India and Angola are also
celebrating the 40th
anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year.
“India and Angola enjoy
very close ties of friendship
and cooperation which
have been growing across
sectors. We have a vibrant
energy partnership with
Angola,” Sudhakar Dalela,
Secretary (Economic
Relations), Ministry of
External Affairs, said at a
press briefing on Thursday