Mr. Anand Sharma is currently visiting Namibia to attend the SADC (South African Development Community) Consultative Conference where India has been invited to attend as one of its international cooperation partners; at the conclusion of this conference,
he will attend the first ever meeting of the Indo-SADC Forum on April 28.
On his first day in Windhoek on April 26, he attended the inaugural session of the SADC Consultative Conference which was opened by the Namibian President, Mr. Pohamba. Besides calling on his ministerial colleagues, he also paid a courtesy call on the President
of Namibia. President Pohamba, a veteran leader of the Namibian freedom struggle, very warmly recalled India's close and staunch support to it. He remembered his own meeting with late Smt. Indira Gandhi in Dar es-Salaam in early 70s. He also referred to MOS's
own close personal association with the Namibian freedom struggle and welcomed him as a friend of the Namibian people.
Thanking the President for his sentiments, MOS discussed with him several issues in the ongoing bilateral cooperation, including the India-AU e-connectivity project. He also conveyed the Government's decision to help set up a faculty of engineering and management
at the University of Namibia's northern campus: the first such project anywhere for capacity-building in the education sector. Before the conclusion of a warm exchange of views on a wide range of bilateral and international issues. MOS invited President Pohamba
to pay a visit to India. Thanking the Minister for the invitation, the President remarked jokingly that his colleagues can not believe that he has never been to India!
The Namibian President conveyed that India could count on Namibian support at the UN and other forums including support for Indian candidature in the HRC.
MOS also called on the Namibian Minister for Mines & Energy during which both sides agreed that India should play an active role in joint exploration and exploitation of minerals and energy sector in Namibia. It was agreed that Indian side would propose draft
MOUs in this connection.
MOS met Mauritian Foreign Minister Mr. Madan Dulloo for in depth discussions on how to energize India-SADC cooperation, apart from reviewing bilateral relations including action points arising out of exchange of high level visits including recent visit of President
Dr. Kalam to Mauritius. It is the expectation of the Mauritian side that the proposed PTA between India and Mauritius would be signed soon.
New Delhi
April 27, 2006