New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for Namibia, marking the final leg of his five-nation tour. Before leaving, PM Modi concluded his productive visit to Brazil, where he attended the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro and held a state visit in Brasilia, meeting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

This visit marks the first time PM Modi will set foot in Namibia and the first prime ministerial visit to the African country in 27 years. During his visit, PM Modi will meet Namibian President Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, their first-ever meeting. The meeting is expected to further strengthen the warm and cordial relations between the two countries.

India and Namibia have a long history of cooperation, dating back to Namibia's liberation struggle, which India supported. India was among the first nations to raise the question of Namibian independence in the UN in 1946. The two countries have collaborated in various areas, including healthcare, education, and food security. India has provided assistance to Namibia in times of need, including gifting vaccines, rice, and maize to support the country's efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and drought relief.

India has also supported health infrastructure improvements and established an India-Namibia Centre of Excellence in IT (INCEIT) at Namibia University of Science & Technology (NUST), along with an ‘India Wing’ at the University of Namibia’s Ongwediwa campus. Furthermore, Namibian civilian professionals and defence personnel regularly receive training in India under the ITEC program and ICCR scholarship schemes, and Indian experts have been deputed to assist Namibian institutions, including the Police Forensic Science Institute.

The visit is expected to further strengthen India-Namibia relations and explore new areas of cooperation. India has also been involved in capacity-building initiatives in Namibia, including setting up an India-Namibia Centre of Excellence in IT and providing training to Namibian professionals and defence personnel.

With inputs from IANS