New Delhi, May 29 Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a three-nation tour of Gabon, Senegal, and Qatar from May 30 to June 7. He will be accompanied by a delegation including Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and three members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar Modi, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, and P. Raveendranath.
The Vice President's Secretariat said that it is expected that a number of bilateral agreements will be concluded with the three countries. "While Naidu's visit will be the first by any Vice President to all the three countries, this is the first ever high level visit from India to Gabon and Senegal.
"His visit is expected to add momentum to India's engagement with Africa and emphasise India's commitment to the African continent," the Vice President's Secretariat said.
The Vice President's visit to Qatar gains prominence as the two countries prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The visit is expected to boost the ties between the countries.
Naidu will begin his tour with Gabon on May 30, where he will hold delegation level talks with the Prime Minister of Gabon, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, call on the President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, and meet other dignitaries. He is also expected to interact with the business community in Gabon and address the Indian diaspora there.
Visiting Senegal from June 1-3, Naidu will hold talks with Senegalese President Macky Sall, meet President of the National Assembly, Moustapha Niasse and other dignitaries.
It is notable that India and Senegal are celebrating the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year. The Vice President is also expected to attend a business roundtable and address the Indian community.
"The last leg of the tour will be the visit to Qatar from June 4-7. During the visit, Naidu will hold delegation level talks with Qatar's Deputy Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Thani, and review bilateral cooperation. He will also meet several other Qatari dignitaries during this visit and address a business roundtable there.
Qatar has committed investments of over $2 billion in various Indian companies over the past two years, Vice President's Secretariat said. On the penultimate day, a community reception will be held marking the Vice President's visit, where he will address the Indian community in Qatar. There is an estimated 750,000 Indian diaspora there at present.
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