Eyeing strong bilateral relations with India, Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi expressed eagerness to build cooperation in the areas of agriculture and infrastructure.

Speaking to mediapersons at IIM-A here on Thursday, he said, “in our discussion with the government, we focused on agriculture and agri-business because we feel that this is an area we can unlock each other’s potential. Gujarat is quite strong in that area. This is a great opportunity for business people from this state,” he said.

The President, along with a delegation of businessmen, visited the campus of the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A), where he had done a four-month programme in 2003.

Nyusi, who spoke in Portuguese, said that there were opportunities of strong bilateral cooperation in the area of agriculture. Mozambique has discovered reserves of natural gas, there are companies from India participating in the exploration of these resources.

The President visited a textile plant here on Thursday, and plans to visit some agriculture facilities, university and Petroleum university on Friday. He added that the two countries have signed some MoUs to facilitate cooperation between the entrepreneurs of the two nations.

He is in India on state visit six months after he was initiated as President of the Republic of Mozambique. “It strengthens our cooperation and friendly relations,” he said adding that “my visit is the first in any Asian country after I became President. So, I took this opportunity to visit India first. But my visit takes place 40 years after our independence but 40 years after establishment of our political and diplomatic relations.” He had earlier visited India in 2011 as the Defence Minister.

India-Mozambique bilateral trade in 2014-15 is estimated to be around $2.4 billion. India’s investments in Mozambique are presently valued at over $7 billion primarily in the hydrocarbon and coal sectors.

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