Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Luanda, Nov 10 (IANS) President Draupadi Murmu addressed members of the Indian community at a reception hosted by the Ambassador of India to Angola in Luanda on Monday evening. On this occasion, Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Railways V. Somanna and Members of Parliament Parbhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava and DK Aruna were also present. Addressing an enthusiastic gathering of members of the Indian community, the President said that India attaches great importance to its relations with its African partners, especially Angola. This partnership is based on equality, mutual trust and shared aspirations for progress. He said India’s engagement with Africa has evolved under the framework of the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS). He said that India looks forward to hosting the next IAFS summit soon. The President said that Angola is an important partner in India’s energy security and India is one of Angola’s top trading partners. He was happy to note that last year India-Angola bilateral trade crossed the historic figure of US$ 5 billion. President Murmu said India is a major supplier of pharmaceuticals, food products, refined petroleum, automobiles and machinery to Angola. Indian companies are active in diverse sectors such as retail, tourism, diamonds, energy, infrastructure, hospitality and agriculture. He said these investments have contributed to Angola’s economic growth and created employment opportunities. The President said that about 8,000 persons of Indian origin live in Angola. He underlined that their entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and professional excellence have contributed significantly to Angola’s economic growth and development. He said that there is immense potential to further strengthen trade, investment and people-to-people ties between India and Angola. He urged members of the Indian community in Angola to actively participate in efforts to realize the shared prosperity of India and Angola. –IANS UK