2016-06-10Staff Report 2 Windhoek The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, will head a powerful delegation on a state visit to Namibia from June 15 to 17 at the invitation of President Hage Geingob. This was confirmed by Indian High Commissioner to Namibia, Kumar Tuhin, who said the visit would bolster south-south cooperation. He said the visit, apart from consolidating bilateral interaction, will carry forward the momentum generated in India-Africa ties post-IAFS-III. After the visit the bilateral relations that have been characterised by a steady and qualitative and quantitative enhancement over the past years are poised for a major insensification. The visit is part of a three-nation African visit by the Indian president, beginning with Ghana followed by Cote d'Ivoire and then Namibia. He will will be accompanied by the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, two members of parliament, senior officials and a media delegation. During the visit, discussions will be held on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. The Indian president will also address a joint session of the Namibian parliament, and the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST). India and Namibia enjoy longstanding, excellent and time-tested ties that predate Namibia’s independence. Over 1 000 Namibians have trained in India. Several Indian experts from government and the private sector have been involved with policy formulation in the country since its independence. The volume of trade, at present, between the two countries is comparatively speaking small – however, there is tremendous potential to further enhance trade and economic ties between India and Namibia. The Indian high commissioner said: “The state visit of His Excellency President Pranab Mukherjee to Namibia will result in India-Namibia relations reaching a new high. I expect that already strong foundations of bilateral ties will be further consolidated and reinforced after the discussions between President Mukherjee and President Geingob, and cooperation in diverse areas will intensify.” 2016-06-10Staff Report 2
