Modi conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian award
WINDHOEK, July 9: Underlining that India values Africa’s role in world affairs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the two sides must act together to create a future defined not by power and dominance, but by partnership and dialogue.
Addressing a Joint Session of the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia, PM Modi also said that Africa must not be just a source of raw material. “Africa must lead in value creation and sustainable growth,” he said.
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“We must act together. Let us create a future defined not by power, but by partnership; not by dominance, but by dialogue; not by exclusion, but by equity,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister said that India was ready to expand its cooperation with Africa in defence and security. He underlined that India will always work for the progress of Africa, as it had done during its presidency of the G-20 when the African Union was made a permanent member of the group.
PM Modi said that India was privileged to share its development experience with Namibia and other countries in the continent.
“In 2018, I had laid out 10 principles of our engagement with Africa. Today, I reaffirm India’s full commitment to them. They are based on respect, equality, and mutual benefit. We seek not to compete, but to cooperate. Our goal is to build together. Not to take, but to grow together,” he said.
“Our development partnership in Africa is worth over USD 12 billion. But its real value is in shared growth and shared purpose. We continue to build local skills, create local jobs and support local innovations,” he said.
In his address, Modi highlighted the strong historical and cultural ties between India and Namibia. “India attaches great importance to its historic relation with Namibia,” he said.
“We not only value our ties from the past, but we are also focused on realising the potential of our shared future. We see great value in working together on Namibia’s Vision 2030 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan,” he said.
Modi said India and Namibia have a powerful story of cooperation, conservation and compassion, when you helped us in reintroducing Cheetahs in our country. “We are deeply grateful for your gift,” he said.
“We are excited to support the next generation of Namibian scientists, doctors and leaders,” Modi said. “Our bilateral trade has crossed $800 million, but like on the cricket field, we are just warming up! We will score faster and score more!”
During the pandemic, India stood with Africa – providing vaccines and medicines, even when many others refused to share, Modi said, adding that India’s mission – “One Earth, One Health,” views health as a shared global responsibility.
He also congratulated Namibia on its first female president and praised its constitution for empowering diverse citizens.
“India and Namibia have much in common. We both fought colonial rule. We both value dignity and freedom. Our Constitutions guide us to uphold equality, liberty, and justice. We are part of the Global South, and our people share the same hopes and dreams,” Modi said.
“It’s the power of India’s Constitution that a daughter from a poor tribal family is today the President of India. It’s this very Constitution that gave someone like me the chance to become Prime Minister,” he said.
Meanwhile, Namibia will roll out the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) later this year, it was announced on Wednesday following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah that focused on imparting a new momentum to the bilateral ties.
The Modi-Ndaitwah meeting primarily focused on bolstering bilateral cooperation in areas such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education and critical minerals.
There was an announcement on the launching of digital payments system in Namibia later this year as an outcome of the signing of the UPI technology licensing agreement between NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) and Bank of Namibia in April last year.
Following the talks between the two leaders, India and Namibia inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on setting up an Entrepreneurship Development Center in Namibia and another pact on cooperation in the field of health and medicine.
Namibia has also joined the India-backed CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure) and the Global Biofuels Alliance.
CDRI is dedicated to enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks. It includes national governments, international organizations, and the private sector.
During the delegation-level talks, the two leaders reviewed the full range of India-Namibia relations.
“Cooperation in areas such as digital technology, defence, security, agriculture, healthcare, education and critical minerals figured prominently in our discussions,” Modi said in a post on social media after the meeting.
“We also discussed how to boost linkages in trade, energy and petrochemicals. Expressed gratitude for the assistance from Namibia in Project Cheetah,” he added.
After the talks at the State House, the two sides signed four agreements, including cooperation in the field of health and medicine, setting up an entrepreneurship development centre in Namibia, the CDRI Framework and the Global Biofuels Alliance Framework.
This is the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to Namibia and the third-ever by an Indian Prime Minister to the country.
Meanwhile, Narendra Modi was on Wednesday conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian award, ‘Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’.
The award was presented by Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Modi is in Namibia on the last leg of his five-nation visit.
This is the 27th international honour bestowed upon Prime Minister Modi by a foreign Government since he assumed office in May 2014. (PTI)
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