Prez will leave for Botswana to advance Cheetah transfer project

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu will embark on a state visit to Angola and Botswana from November 8 to 13, in the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to the two African nations, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Thursday. Addressing a press briefing, Secretary, Economic Relations, MEA, Sudhakar Dalela said that the visit reflects Indias growing focus on strengthening partnerships with countries of the Global South, particularly across political, economic, developmental, and cultural dimensions in Africa. Indias engagement with Africa is growing across all key pillarsfrom political, trade and economic, and development to people-to-people connections. This visit is in consonance with the governments priority of deepening partnerships with countries in the Global South, he said. The tour to Africa will also include discussions on translocating cheetahs from Botswana to India as part of Project Cheetah, symbolising the deepening environmental and conservation ties between the two countries.