Vice President Naidu to visit Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will on Wednesday depart for a visit to the African nations of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The Vice President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Pal Gurjar, two Members of Parliament and senior officers of the Indian Government.

His official engagement in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi will include a call-on the Presidents of the three countries, bilateral meetings with his counterparts, delegation level talks, meetings with the speaker of the parliaments and interactions with business groups and Indian communities.

In Botswana, where Vice President Naidu's visit will last from October 31 to November 2, he will officially inaugurate the "Global Expo Botswana 2018" along with his counterpart, where 25 Indian companies and business houses covering a range of sectors will also participate.

Naidu will then visit Zimbabwe from November 2 to November 4, where he will meet with the Foreign Minister and lay the foundation stone of the Chancery project. He will witness the signing of several Memorandums of Understandings (MoU) and will announce LoC projects.

In Malawi, where the Vice President will stay from November 4 to 5, Vice President Naidu is expected to inaugurate the Business Incubation Center, India-Africa Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development and unveil a Mahatma Gandhi bust. Several MoUs and agreements will be signed and announcements including LoC projects are also expected to be made.

Engagements between India and African nations have intensified as there have been 26 outgoing visits at the level of President, Vice President and Prime Minister in the last four years. The visit of the Vice President to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi is expected to further strengthen relations with these African countries.