MoS Muraleedharan co-chairs India-Senegal joint commission meeting; meets President Sall

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan paid an official visit to the Republic of Senegal to co-chair the Third India-Senegal Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) which was held from 4 to 5 November in Dakar, said Ministry of External Affairs. MEA said in a statement on Saturday, 6 November that during the visit, Muraleedharan met the President of the Republic of Senegal Macky Sall. Senegalese President Sall laid emphasis on the “Special nature of India-Senegal relations.”

MEA said in an official release that Sall “emphasized the special nature of India-Senegal relations and expressed his desire to continue to engage with India to achieve the full potential. MoS briefed the President of Senegal about the deliberations that were held in the JCM, particularly with respect to Health, energy, railways, mining, defence, development partnership etc.”

“MoS (VM) fondly recalled President Macky Sall’s visit to India in October 2015 for the India-Africa Forum Summit and in May 2017 to participate in the 52nd Annual Meeting of African Development Bank in Gandhinagar,” it added.

Muraleedharan Co-Chaired the JCM with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese abroad Aissata Tall Sall. The External Affairs Ministry added, “Both sides discussed all the areas of mutual interest including Trade & Commerce, Investments, Health, Energy, Agriculture, Railways, Defence & Security, Education & Culture, Development Partnership, Consular, and Indian Community-related matters and agreed to enhance cooperation in these areas.”

Two MoUs were signed during the visit

MEA also added that at least two MoUs were signed during the visit including an MoU for cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine and another for the training of Senegalese diplomats. The Ministry also said that Muraleedharan and Senegalese Foreign Minister “launched a commemorative stamp, marking the celebrations of 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Senegal.”

Additionally, during the same visit, MoS also visited the Renaissance Monument in Dakar and paid Floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. He visited the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Technology (CEDT) in Dakar which was built with Indian grant assistance. MoS also interacted with the Indian community in Dakar and greeted them on the occasion of Diwali celebrations. Muraleedharan’s visit to Senegal “helped to consolidate the 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries on the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international issues, and set out a road map for future engagements.”

(IMAGE: @MOS_MEA/Twitter)