New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday wrapped up his "productive" visit to Gabon where he had a series of bilateral engagements advancing cooperation between the two countries across spheres, including trade, investment, energy, health, and pharmaceuticals.
As part of his three nations tour, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Gabon on May 30 on his first-ever high-level bilateral official visit. Vice President was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi (Rajya Sabha), Vijay Pal Singh Tomar (Rajya Sabha), and P. Ravindhranath (Lok Sabha).
The visit signifies India's commitment to engage closely with Africa. On his arrival, Vice President was warmly received by the Prime Minister of Gabon Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Michael Moussa-Adamo. The main official engagement day was on May 31, during which Vice President called on President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who received him at the Presidential Palace. Gabonese President fondly recalled his earlier visits to India in 2015 and 2018.
Vice President had a tete-a-tete with Gabon’s Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda followed by delegation-level talks with the PM and her cabinet colleagues during which the entire gamut of bilateral relations including regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest was reviewed.
Both leaders had also discussed active economic engagement and identified new areas for cooperation, particularly in agriculture, green energy, mining, health and pharma, ICT, defense, and maritime security. Both sides noted the need for cooperation in skill development/training and capacity building in key sectors.
Earlier, Michael Moussa-Adamo made a courtesy call on Vice Prez. Both sides signed two MoUs/Agreements - an MoU for cooperation between India’s SSIFS and Gabon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and - An agreement for the establishment of a Joint Commission between two Foreign Ministries. Gabonese side requested to open our resident mission in Libreville.
Vice President also had a joint meeting with the President of the National Assembly and President of the Senate during which a few members of the Gabonese Parliament were also present. Both sides appreciated the leadership in upholding democratic values and traditions and agreed to have regular Parliamentary exchanges. Vice President addressed a Business Forum event in Gabon organized by CII, which led a 15-member delegation on an exploratory visit. HVPI also interacted with the small but vibrant Indian Community in Gabon.
Both sides appreciated the mutual support extended to each other’s candidatures at the UN and other international fora. India and Gabon agreed to work closely as non-permanent members of the UNSC on climate change, counter-terrorism, and reform of the UN. During the visit, Naidu announced a special training program for a batch of 20 Gabonese diplomats at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Services.
After concluding his visit to Gabon, the Vice President left for Senegal, the second destination of his three-nation tour, where he would hold delegation-level talks with its President Macky Sall, and meet the President of the National Assembly Moustapha Niasse, and other dignitaries. Before he departed from Libreville on June 01, Vice President visited Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ), where around 54 Indian companies are operating.
India and Senegal are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. The vice-president is also expected to attend a business roundtable and address the Indian community. His visit is expected to add momentum to India's engagement with Africa and emphasize New Delhi's commitment to the African continent, the Vice-President Secretariat said in a statement ahead of his departure.
The last leg of the tour will be the visit to Qatar from June 4 to June 7.
