Africa-Press – Namibia. Dressed in a crisp white kurta, paired with a black blazer to shield him from Windhoek’s chill, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down at the Hosea Kutako International Airport at exactly 06h05 yesterday. There, he was greeted with a heartwarming welcome from both the Namibian and Indian communities.
The premier was received by traditional songs and vibrant dances that lit up his historic first visit as he also got in with the performers to play around on the African drum.
At the airport, he was received by Namibia’s foremost diplomat Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, National Planning Commission director general Ambassador Kaire Mbuende and international relations executive director Penda Naanda, among others.
“India continues to contribute to the capacity building of our citizens by providing training in various fields, including security and diplomatic training,” said President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at State House.
An example of this is the launch of the India-Namibia Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (INCEIT) in collaboration with the Faculty of Computing at the University of Science and Technology Namibia, which seeks to narrow Namibia’s digital divide.
She said Namibia appreciates India’s continued support in enhancing our public health systems, notably with the anticipated delivery of the Bhabhatron Radiotherapy Machine and anti-malaria medicines.
Nandi-Ndaitwah added that Namibia will proudly join key Indian-led multilateral initiatives such as the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA).
This platform aligns with the national development priorities and Namibia’s vision for sustainability and climate resilience.
“I wish to reiterate Namibia’s readiness to work closely with India to build an inclusive, digitally connected and economically empowered future for our people,” she added.
The President said the signing of several bilateral agreements between the two countries further testifies to the strong and deepening relations between our two countries.
Namibia has signed an agreement with India on the Framework Agreement on the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
“Namibia, bearing witness to the adverse effects of climate change through the ravaging droughts, remains fully committed to enhancing agricultural productivity while mitigating the impacts of climate change. By exploring climate-smart practices, which are critical interventions to build climate resilience and improve food security,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Another agreement is the cooperation in cybersecurity as well as in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at a population scale for digital transformation to foster digital governance, enable innovation in emerging technologies and promote cybersecurity initiatives.
This is in recognition that digital technologies and innovation are increasingly critical to the advancement of human development and the creation of inclusive knowledge societies.
“President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and I reviewed the full range of India-Namibia relations during our talks today. Cooperation in areas such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education and critical minerals figured prominently in our discussions,” said Modi on X.
He added that they also discussed how to boost linkages in trade, energy and petrochemicals and expressed gratitude for the assistance from Namibia in Project Cheetah.
Modi stated that the Indian community in Namibia is extremely optimistic about closer India-Namibia friendship.
This is reflected in the special welcome in Windhoek.
“I am extremely proud of our diaspora, particularly the way they have retained a connection with their culture and traditions. Namibia is a valued and trusted African partner with whom we seek to boost bilateral cooperation,” he said.
Modi was in Namibia yesterday on his one-day visit as part of his eight-day five-nation tour. He started in Accra, Ghana and then went to Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Argentina and Namibia.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
