Prez reaches Delhi after first visit to Angola, Botswana; energy talks, Cheetahs high point

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Delhi on Friday, concluding her six-day state visit to Angola and Botswana where she underscored India's firm commitment for stronger ties with the two countries in various sectors including energy, trade and investment.

This was the first visit of an Indian President to the two African nations.

The two-legged state visit between November 8 and 13 began from Angola's capital Luanda followed by Botswanan capital city of Gaborone.

The 'India One' VVIP aircraft carrying the President landed at the Air Force Station (AFS) Palam early Friday morning after it got airborne from the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone on Thursday evening.

In her bilateral meetings with the Presidents of the two countries -- Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco of Angola and Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana -- Murmu reaffirmed India's commitment for strengthening ties by initiating newer cooperation in various sectors while intensifying the existing ones.

Murmu told the Angolan leadership that Indian oil and gas companies are desirous of entering into a "long-term" purchase contract with them to meet the country's energy requirements, and they also wish to invest in petroleum refining and exploration of critical and rare earth minerals.

She said there were "unlimited possibilities" to expand the ties between the two countries in energy, agriculture, food processing and medicine sectors even as she offered the high-speed 'Vande Bharat' trains to the Atlantic Ocean bordering country in order to enhance its rail transport infrastructure.

Angola, during Murmu's visit, also agreed to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), two initiatives that are led by India.

The second leg of her visit saw Murmu taking the symbolic handover of eight Botswanan cheetahs as part of an ambitious translocation pact of the big cats to India, extinct from the country since the mid-1950s.

She also witnessed the release of two cheetahs into a quarantine pen at a nature reserve along with President Boko on Thursday.

Boko said Murmu's visit was "historic" as an Indian head of state visited his country for the first time and it was also the first visit by a foreign premier since he took office in November 2024.

"The visit of honourable President to Africa -- to Angola and Botswana -- reflects the priority that the Government of India attaches to the engagement with the African continent as a whole," Sudhakar Dalela, secretary (economic relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said during a pre-departure press briefing on Thursday at Gaborone.

The visit also reflects India's "firm commitment" to expanding partnership with the African region, including within the framework of India-Africa Forum Summit, he said.

The secretary said India was "very hopeful that these cheetahs will move to India not in a very distant future." India also signed two MoUs with Angola during this visit -- one relating to cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture and marine resources, and the other related to counsellor matters.

India and Botswana also signed an MoU to facilitate the supply of quality and affordable medicines to the southern African nation, 70 per cent of whose area is covered by the Kalahari desert.

Murmu attended the 50th Independence Day celebrations of Angola on November 11 and addressed the Members of Parliament of both the countries. PTI NES RUK RUK