India's president calls for enhanced bilateral coo...

India's president calls for enhanced bilateral cooperation with Zim

President Murmu and Advocate Mudenda exchange the Namaste which has grown into an international greeting signifying peace and respect

Zim Now Writer

President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, has said that Zimbabwe and India should enhance the growing bilateral relationship in light of ties between the two countries that are centuries old.

“There should be more interaction and exchange between our two parliaments. We have a lot to learn from each other,” she said

She said this to the Parliamentary delegation from Zimbabwe led by Speaker of the Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, when they called on her at Rashtrapati Bhavan this Wednesday, December 7.

The President was happy to note that India's economic relations with Zimbabwe are progressing well. The trade between India and Zimbabwe is around $200 million. Indian companies have invested about $500 million in Zimbabwe. These include key producers and big employers like Pure Oil, the makers of the now premium Zimbabwean cooking oil brand, Zimgold and Varun Beverages the makers of Pepsi and the popular Mirinda line of beverages.

India has provided five lines of credit to Zimbabwe. These include the Deka Upgradation project which feeds into the Hwange Hydropower Station's two new units which on completion will add 600MW to the national power grid. This will go a long way in alleviating the power shortages in Zimbabwe.

She also noted India has set up a vocational training centre in Zimbabwe and that the ITEC and ICCR scholarships from India are popular among Zimbabweans.

On the health front, India has donated ambulances, Covid-19 vaccines and other key basic medications dispensed in public health service centres.

“The presence of about 9000 people of Indian origin in Zimbabwe is an important link between our people,” President Murmu said.

The President said that Parliament represents the voice of the people and that there are lessons to learn from India as the world's largest democracy.

“Our strong and vibrant democracy starts from the grassroots level. It truly represents the people of this country,” she said.

She expressed confidence that the delegation would learn more about India’s democratic systems during this visit.

President Droupadi Murmu became the 15th president of India on July 25, 2022. She is the first person belonging to the tribal community and also the second woman after Pratibha Patil to hold the office.