Angola to source defence equipment from India, Modi announces $200 million credit line
'I am happy to announce that a defence credit line of $200 million has been approved for the modernisation of Angola's forces. Repair and overhaul and supply of defence platforms have also been discussed. We will be happy to cooperate in the training of Angola's armed forces,' said Modi, during a joint press statement with President Lourenço.
New Delhi: Angola will be sourcing defence equipment from India, especially to overhaul its aging Soviet-era defence platforms, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday announced a $200-million line of credit during President João Manuel Goncalves Lourenço's maiden state visit to India.
The Indian prime minister also announced that the two countries are looking to broaden their energy partnership. For India, Angola is the second largest supplier of oil and liquid natural gas (LNG) from the African continent after Nigeria. Of the roughly $3.5 billion worth of export of goods from Luanda to New Delhi, around 90 percent is energy supplies.
At a special briefing after the press statements, Dammu Ravi, the Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), highlighted that Luanda has a fleet of Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, for example, which requires repair and overhauling, which India could aid in.
'They (Angola) will be sourcing defence equipment from India. Already, they are in touch with the private companies and also public sector companies for various items to be sourced from India and the important aspect is there is a commonality—they have a large number of Soviet defence equipment, which needs to be serviced, overhauled and (requires) maintenance,' Ravi said.
He added that even before the visit, there were some discussions among public sector units of the two countries as well as the private sector businesses for Angola sourcing transport equipment and ammunition from India.
A meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Angolan counterpart Joao Ernesto Dos Santos was expected to be held Friday. However, the meeting was cancelled due to scheduling issues.
The Angolan president is the first Head of State to visit India following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. During his talks with Modi, Lourenço condemned the attack and conveyed his condolences to the victims. The President of Angola is also the current chair of the African Union (AU). The larger organisation has not made a statement on ghastly attack.
'We are committed to take firm and decisive action against the terrorists and those who support them. We thank Angola for their support in our fight against cross-border terrorism,' Modi said during the joint press statement.
At least four terrorists killed 26 tourists—25 Indians and one foreign national—near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April, in what was one of the deadliest attacks against civilians in the region in recent years.
The two countries also exchanged three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of agriculture, traditional medicine and culture. A framework agreement for Angola's entrance into the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was also signed. This is the first major visit by the President of Angola to India since 1987.
Apart from defence and security, the Angolan president also requested India's aid in the health sector and agriculture, as Luanda looks to become self-sufficient in food. Modi and Lourenço also sought deeper cooperation in the railway sector. Currently, Angola has three railway lines connecting the coastal parts of the country in the West to the interiors in the East. There are no interconnections between the three lines.
One of the country's rail lines is also a part of the Lobito corridor, a US and European Union (EU)-led project to connect the mineral rich Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the port of Lobito in Angola, via Zambia. The Lobito Corridor was announced on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, alongside the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also read: First Angolan president to visit India in 38 yrs, Lourenço receives ceremonial welcome
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