India, Mozambique to reactivate joint working group on defence

India and Mozambique have agreed to reactivate their joint working group on defence, that has met only twice in the past nine years, and also to cooperate majorly in agriculture.

Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi has expressed keenness for India to partner his country in developing the arable land in his nation, a top official said on Wednesday.

Mozambique is keen for cooperation with India in the field of agriculture, as 50 percent of the land in the southeast African country is "excellent arable land", said Navtej Sarna, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, while briefing the media on the visit of Nyusi.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nyusi held talks and both sides inked an Mou in the field of new and renewable energy.

Sarna said with Mozambique and India being Indian Ocean countries, both have decided to partner in developing the "blue economy".

Nyusi proposed that Indians could go to his country and develop the agricultural sector, both for exporting and for the domestic market, said Sarna.

He also proposed public-private partnership to develop agriculture.

"They are very keen for India to be a partner and the prime minister has offered to send a delegation to discuss agriculture cooperation," he said.

The Mozambican president has also evinced keenness for Indian investment in healthcare, energy, infrastructure, automobiles, coal, developing ports, he added.

On the joint working group on defence, Sarna said it was set up in 2006 but has not met frequently -- only twice in the last nine years.

"There is interest to reactivate the JWG and both have decided to have more frequent meetings," he said.

The cooperation initially would be more in terms of training, with India seeing what the requirements of the Mozambican army may have, and also cover issues of maritime security.

He said the Indian Navy has been active in the area in the past and provided maritime security for two summits that Mozambique held in the past. The Indian Navy took charge of Mozambique's sea security during the African Union summit there in 2003 and during the World Economic Forum summit the following year.

Energy is also a major sector for cooperation with Mozambique having discovered large amounts of gas. India could tap the nation for its LNG requirements, he added.

Railways, coal, ports are other fields of cooperation between the two nations, he added.