Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has underscored the need for cooperation between Nigeria and India.
Ambassador Tuggar stated this yesterday when he hosted the Sixth Nigeria – India Joint Commission Meeting during the official visit of the Minister of External Affairs of India, Ambassador Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The Commission reviewed the decisions of the 5th Joint Commission as well as the entire scope of bilateral relations between the two countries.
Both envoys emphasized the significance of the Sixth Session as the continuation of the era of meaningful and expanding economic interaction between the two countries.
The meeting culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Renewable Energy.
Addressing a joint press conference after signing the MoU, Ambassador Tuggar pointed out that the relationship between the two countries will continue to grow stronger.
He disclosed that Ambassador Jaishanka had earlier visited Lagos where he held productive meetings with the India-Nigeria Business Forum and also addressed the Nigerian Institute Of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos on India and the Global South.
His words: “We had very fruitful deliberations at the 6th joint commission between Nigeria and India. Several issues were discussed as regards different sectors ranging from economy, trade, consular issues, culture and aviation. I have to say that the meeting was very fruitful and rich.
“You know that Nigeria and India have a lot in common, we are two largest democracies on the continent of Africa and Asia, we are the most populous and we have a strong bond and we have been friends for a long time, our relationship will continue to grow stronger”.
On his part, Jaishankar described Nigeria as an important business partner of India, stressing that both nations share a long-standing and friendly relationship rooted in history.
“We have about 130 Indian companies that have really put their economic future, struck roots in this country, to a point where they have actually become one of the largest employers in this country.
“One of the agreements we signed was on solar energy. We will see cooperation on green and clean growth. Secondly, Nigeria and India both face health challenges. How do we make medicines and health facilities affordable and accessible? There will be new things happening in the relationship. They will take into account new technologies and new capabilities between our two countries. It is a very forward-looking relationship that we envisage.”
The Guardian reports that the Seventh meeting of the Nigeria-India Joint Commission holds in India.
