Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Africa visit, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved India signing a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Mozambique for pulses import and drug trafficking prevention, as well as with Tanzania for promotion of Indian traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy. The Cabinet also cleared an MoU with Mauritius in rural development and poverty alleviation.
Mr. Modi, during his five-day trip beginning on Thursday, will visit South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, considered the gateway to several landlocked African countries.
Long term contracts The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Mr. Modi, approved a long term contract with Mozambique for import of pulses either through the private channels or Government-to-Government (G2G) sales through State Agencies nominated by the two countries. The MoU will augment domestic availability of pulses in India and thereby stabilise its prices, an official statement said.
The MoU includes targets for imports of red gram (tur dal) and other pulses from Mozambique for five financial years and aims at doubling the trade from one lakh tonnes in 2016-17 to two lakh tonnes in 2020-21. The signing of this MoU with Mozambique may also lead to similar arrangements with other countries, the statement added.
Combating drugs Cabinet nod was also given for another MoU with Mozambique to enhance mutual cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through exchange of information, expertise and capacity building.
The MoU between India and Tanzania is to provide a structured framework for bilateral cooperation for promotion of Indian traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy in Tanzania. The financial resources for conducting research, training courses, conferences / meetings will be met from AYUSH Ministry’s existing allocated budget and plan schemes. Tanzania, in East Africa, has around 70,000 Indian diaspora. Recently, the bilateral ties have been marked by cooperation in health and medicine.
The Ministry of AYUSH , as part of its mandate to promote Indian systems of medicine globally, had also signed MoUs with countries including China, Malaysia, Hungary, Bangladesh and Nepal.
