Namibia a ‘valued and trusted partner’ in Africa: PM Modi as he arrives in Namibia
PM Modi’s Namibia Visit and Upcoming BRICS Summit in Brazil
Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his five-nation tour (Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, Namibia) with a landmark visit to Namibia – the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly three decades.
- Bilateral Engagements:
- Held talks with Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
- Addressed Namibia’s Parliament, highlighting Africa’s role in global affairs.
- Signed MoUs on Entrepreneurship Development Centre and health & medicine cooperation.
- Namibia joined India-backed CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure) and the Global Biofuels Alliance.
- Recognition:
- PM Modi was conferred Namibia’s highest civilian honour – “Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis.”
- Economic & Strategic Context:
- Namibia is rich in uranium, cobalt, lithium, and rare earths – critical for clean energy and battery storage.
- India is a major investor in Namibia’s mining sector (zinc, diamonds).
- Symbolic trust-building: Namibia gifted cheetahs to India (2022) under intercontinental wildlife cooperation.
- Diaspora & Capacity Building:
- Indian presence in Namibia (~450 NRIs/PIOs).
- Ongoing defence training, scholarships, and IT cooperation (India–Namibia Centre for Excellence in IT).
17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
PM Modi will now participate in the BRICS Summit (Rio de Janeiro).
- Agenda:
- Global Governance Reforms – demand for equitable representation.
- Climate Change & Multilateral Banks Reform – financing green transitions.
- Artificial Intelligence Governance – ethical use of AI for development.
- Health Cooperation – lessons from COVID-19, future resilience.
- Diplomacy:
- Bilateral talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, marking the first bilateral visit to Brazil by an Indian PM in nearly six decades.
- Focus on strategic partnership, critical minerals, energy transition, agriculture, and Global South solidarity.
Updated - July 09, 2025 06:00 pm | The Hindu
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