VP Naidu meets Botswana President Masisi

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday met Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and congratulated him for taking over as the fifth president of the country.

Vice President Naidu even recalled commonalities of strong parliamentary democracy traditions in India and Botswana, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Earlier in the day, the Vice-President visited at the Diamond Trading Centre here. Naidu went around the facility which undertakes the valuation and sorting of rough diamonds.

"VP @MVenkaiahNaidu received a diamond-studded welcome at Diamond Trading Centre #Botswana. He went around the facility which undertakes valuation & sorting of rough diamonds. Botswana supplies India's substantial requirement of rough diamonds," the MEA spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

After concluding his visit to Botswana, the Vice-President, who is on a seven-day visit to three South African countries, has left for Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, the Vice-President will meet 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.

Naidu will then travel to Malawi, where he 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. Several MoUs and agreements will be signed and announcements including LoC projects are also expected to be made.