Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go on a three-nation visit to Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa next week to strengthen strategic and economic ties with the key African countries.

Modi, who will attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa on July 25-27, will start his tour of Rwanda on July 23-24 and then visit Uganda on July 24-25. “The Prime Minister will be accompanied by an official delegation. A large Indian business delegation is also expected to be part of the visit,” TS Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters at a briefing on Friday.

Modi’s visit to Rwanda is historic as it is the first by an Indian premier, Tirumurti said, adding that the country held a lot of weight as the current Chair of the African Union. In March, it was in Rwanda that the 44 African nations became signatories of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest free trade area since the World Trade Organisation was formed in 1995, Tirumurti said.

In Rwanda, Modi will hold delegation-level talks, pay homage at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, interact with a business forum, and also with the Indian community. A defence cooperation agreement is also expected to be signed between India and Rwanda during the visit, the Secretary said.

“During this visit, we expect to conclude two lines of credit — $100 million for development of industrial parks and Kigali special economic zone (SEZ), and another one for $100 million for agriculture and irrigation,” he said.

In Uganda, Modi will call on President Yoweri Museveni, participate at a India-Uganda joint business event and address the Ugandan Parliament — a first for by an Indian Prime Minister, the MEA official said.

“We expect to extend two lines of credit for the first time to Uganda . One would be worth $141 million for electricity lines and sub-stations and the other worth $64 million for agriculture and dairy production,” he added.

At the BRICS Summit in South Africa, Modi will participate, with other BRICS leaders, in the restricted session, plenary session, leaders retreat, outreach with leaders from Africa, and outreach with leaders from global south.

“BRICS leaders are expected to discuss global hot-spot issues, international peace and security, global governance, trade issues etc., during the restricted session,” Tirumurti said.

The Indian Prime Minister will also participate in the outreach with leaders from Africa and outreach with leaders from global south segments of the summit.

The countries invited for the BRICS’ Africa outreach segment are Rwanda, Uganda, Togo, Zambia, Namibia, Senegal, Gabon, Ethiopia, Angola and the African Union chair, Tirumurti said.

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