Abhay Kumar, India’s Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros, called on the Prime Minister of Madagascar Christian Ntsay and informed the donation of 5,000 tonnes of rice to Madagascar as humanitarian aid.
Piyush Goyal Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution, Govt. of India, has also confirmed this news on his Twitter handle. See here;
https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1535268813318414336
The rice shipment from India to Madagascar is expected to arrive at the Malagasy port of Tomasina in July 2022. Previously, in March 2021, India had donated 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to Madagascar for its drought-affected people in the south of Madagascar and 600 tonnes of rice in March 2020 for the victims of a disastrous flood in the northern part of Madagascar.
India Madagascar Relationships in the Past;
Madagascar is strategically placed in the southwestern Indian Ocean and astride the Mozambique Channel.
It is the fourth biggest island in the world, between a fifth and a sixth the size of India, and is one of the world’s poorest countries, with thousands of distinct species of flora and wildlife.
India and Madagascar have friendly bilateral relations. India has had nautical ties with Madagascar for several centuries and visits to Madagascar and settlements of Indian merchants in Madagascar date at least to the late eighteenth century.
Upon Madagascar gaining independence in 1960, it was promoted to an Embassy. The role played by the Indian community in the economic development of Madagascar has always been appreciated at the highest level.
India Madagascar Relationships at Present;
In March 2020, Madagascar supported India in joining the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) & and in August 2020, the Djibouti Code of Conduct as an observer.
It joined the India-led Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in April 2022.
During his visit to India General Leon Jean Richard Rakotonirina, the Malagasy Defence Minister held a bilateral meeting with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed initiatives for strengthening the defence cooperation between the two countries.
From September 19 to October 2, 2021, 10 diplomats from Madagascar attended the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service’s 1st Special Course for Diplomats in the Indian Ocean Region.
On the occasion of World Bicycle Day on June 3, 2022, India announced the donation of 15,000 bicycles to Madagascar. At present, India’s policy towards Madagascar is guided by the collaborative maritime vision of “Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).”
Read More: Asianatimes.com
