(MENAFN- Live Mint) President Droupadi Murmu landed in Luanda, the capital city of Angola, on Sunday, marking the first-ever state visit by an Indian head of state to the Southern African nation.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the President's arrival in a post on X (formerly Twitter) as the two nations celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

“President Droupadi Murmu lands in Luanda, the capital city of Angola. India and Angola are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. This visit will further strengthen India-Angola bilateral cooperation,” the post read.

The Indian President is in Angola as part of the first leg of her two-nation tour from November 8 to 11, at the invitation of her Angolan counterpart, João Lourenco. This visit underscores India's commitment to strengthen ties with Africa and the Global South.

Key area of focus

The historic visit builds upon recent high-level meetings, including the Angolan President Lourenço's visit to New Delhi in May. The discussions are expected to take forward the agenda discussed earlier this year, which saw India approve a $200 million Line of Credit to help Angola modernize its defence forces.

Both countries are now holding talks to finalize this agreement, which could also facilitate Angola in sourcing defence equipment from India, Newsonair reported.

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President Murmu's tour reflects growing focus on strengthening partnerships across political, economic, developmental, and cultural dimensions of the two nations, MEA Secretary of Economic Relations Sudhakar Dalela said during special press briefing. He further noted that the visit also includes discussions on translocating cheetahs from Botswana as part of Project Cheetah in India, ANI reported.

Agenda of President Murmu's visit

Here's what's planned for President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Angola:

- Bilateral talks: President Murmu will hold comprehensive bilateral talks with her Angolan counterpart at the Presidential Palace in Luanda,.

- Anniversary celebrations: She will attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of Angola's independence on Tuesday, November 11.

- Public interaction: The Indian President will address the Angolan Parliament, as well as interact with members of the Indian community.

- Cooperation strengthening: During the ongoing visit, both sides are also expected to discuss cooperation in healthcare, space technology, and digital public infrastructure.

- Global initiatives: The nations may also further strengthen partnerships under global initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, the Global Biofuel Alliance, and the International Big Cat Alliance.

What's the President's next destination?

Following her engagements in Angola, President Murmu will travel to Botswana from November 11 to 13, at the invitation of President Duma Gideon Boko.

This, too, is the first-ever state visit by an Indian head of state to Botswana. The second leg of the African tour will focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, technology, energy, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, defence, and people-to-people exchanges.

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President Murmu will hold bilateral discussions, address the National Assembly of Botswana and visit cultural and historical sites. Botswana has also indicated its readiness to collaborate with India on Project Cheetah and the possible translocation of Cheetahs from Botswana to India, Newsonair reported.

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