Lilongwe (Malawi): President Droupadi Murmu Saturday left for home after wrapping up her three-nation visit to Algeria, Mauritania and Malwai, establishing new benchmarks in India-Africa relations.
It was the first visit by an Indian Head of State to the three African nations.
Murmu finished her visit in Malawi, where she held a “productive” discussion with her Malawian counterpart Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, mining, tourism and energy.
“President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn emplanes for New Delhi after successfully concluding her 3 nation State visit to Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi, setting new milestones in India-Africa relationship,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X.
Earlier, Murmu visited the Radha Krishna temple here, an “important Centre of socio-cultural activities for the Indian diaspora in Malawi”, her office said in a post on X.
“Before departing from Malawi, the President also visited Lake Malawi, a biodiversity hotspot and home to over 1,000 species of fish,” the post said. It added that the lake plays a central role in the Malawian economy, with over one-third of the country’s population depending on it for livelihood, fresh water, transportation, and electricity.
On Friday, Murmu witnessed the signing of bilateral agreements in the fields of arts and culture, sports and pharmaceutical cooperation.
In Mauritania, the president met with her Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral relationship further.
She also signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), including on diplomat training and visa exemption.
During her visit to Algeria, the president was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. She also met her Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune to review bilateral relations between the two countries and agreed to strengthen ties across sectors.
Murmu’s three-nation visit is reflective of India’s “deep desire” to strengthen its partnership with countries in Africa, the MEA said in a press release before her visit.
PTI