NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the heads of state of Mozambique and Timor-Leste on the margins of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit on Tuesday and discussed ways to bolster bilateral ties and cooperation with both countries.
At his meeting with Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Modi expressed his commitment to support the country’s development priorities and suggested the two sides can enhance air connectivity to boost business and people-to-people relations.
The two leaders discussed ways to further bilateral ties, including in defence, counter-terrorism, energy, health, trade and investment, agriculture, water security, mining, capacity building and maritime cooperation, the external affairs ministry said in a readout.
Nyusi thanked Modi for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. He also thanked India for backing various development projects and capacity building programmes and for its support in maritime security.
The two leaders also discussed issues related to cooperation at multilateral forums, including the UN. Modi appreciated Nyusi’s participation in the Voice of the Global South Summit in January and November 2023.
At his meeting with President Jose Ramos Horta, the first head of state or government of Timor-Leste to visit India, Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to build a vibrant “Delhi-Dili” connect. In September 2023, India announced the opening of its mission in Timor-Leste.
{{/usCountry}}At his meeting with President Jose Ramos Horta, the first head of state or government of Timor-Leste to visit India, Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to build a vibrant “Delhi-Dili” connect. In September 2023, India announced the opening of its mission in Timor-Leste.
{{/usCountry}}Modi offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare. He invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the external affairs ministry said in a separate readout.
Horta sought India’s support in meeting Timor-Leste’s development priorities, particularly in healthcare and capacity building in IT.
Modi congratulated Horta for the in-principle decision by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope that the full membership will be attained soon. The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific and continued cooperation in multilateral forums.
Modi appreciated Timor-Leste’s participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit and the leaders agreed that developing countries should synergise their position on global issues.