Modi will embark on a three-nation tour from November 16 to 21, visiting Brazil for the G20 Summit, and to strengthen bilateral ties with Nigeria and Guyana…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-nation tour from November 16 to 21, visiting Brazil for the G20 Summit, and to strengthen bilateral ties with Nigeria and Guyana.
At the invitation of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, PM Modi will visit Nigeria, from 16-17 November 2024. This will be the first visit by a Prime Minister of India to Nigeria in 17 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Tuesday.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold talks to review the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria and discuss further avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship. He will also address a gathering of the Indian community in Nigeria, the MEA said.
India and Nigeria have been strategic partners since 2007 with growing economic, energy and defence collaboration. More than 200 Indian companies have invested over USD 27 billion in important sectors in Nigeria. India and Nigeria also share a strong development cooperation partnership, the MEA added.
According to the MEA statement, PM Modi will then travel to Rio De Janeiro from November 18-19 to attend the G20 Summit hosted by Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva.
India is part of the G20 Troika along with Brazil and South Africa and has been actively contributing to the ongoing G20 Summit discussions.
During the Summit, the Prime Minister will put forward India’s positions on various issues of global importance and build on the outcomes from the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and Voice of the Global South Summits which were hosted by India in the past two years, the MEA said. On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister is expected to meet several leaders, it added.
At the invitation of Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, PM Modi will undertake a state visit to Guyana from November 19-21, the first by an Indian Prime Minister since 1968, the MEA said.
Earlier in 2023, Guyanese President Ali visited India as the Chief Guest at the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, when he was also awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold discussions with President Ali, meet other senior leaders of Guyana, address the Parliament of Guyana and address a gathering of the Indian diaspora, the MEA said.
In Georgetown, Guyana, Prime Minister will also participate in the Second CARICOM-India Summit and hold meetings with leaders of CARICOM member countries to further enhance India’s long-standing friendship with the region, the MEA added.
S Africa expects summit to strengthen multilateralism
South Africa expects the upcoming G20 summit to strengthen multilateralism and reform the global institutions of governance, South Africa’s top diplomat said.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola made the remarks on Tuesday while briefing the media in Pretoria, South African administrative capital, about the implementation of his country’s foreign policy and upcoming engagements.
He said that the G20 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled from November 18 to 19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the moment when heads of state and government approve the agreements negotiated throughout the year and point out ways of dealing with global challenges, Xinhua news agency reported.
“South Africa is already playing an enhanced role as a member of the G20 Troika, together with Brazil and India, in support of one of Brazil’s foremost priorities on the reform of the global governance institutions wherein G20 leaders are expected to advance efforts for a reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system, rooted in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, with renewed institutions and a reformed governance that is more representative, effective, transparent, and accountable, reflecting the social, economic, and political realities of the 21st century,” said Lamola.
He pointed out that in terms of promoting the interests of the Global South, South Africa considers the G20 to be an important vehicle for advancing the aspirations of developing countries and Africa’s development priorities in particular.
It is expected that the G20 will continue to support emerging and developing economies to achieve sustainable development, Lamola added. South Africa will assume the G20 Presidency on December 1 and will host the summit in 2025.
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