India, Guinea Bissau review bilateral relations, discuss development partnership

The Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA), Rahul Chhabra undertook a thorough review of bilateral and international issues. Rahul Chhabra was on his first-ever bilateral visit from India to Guinea Bissau on July 5-6. Chhabra held a delegation-level discussion with Ude-fati, the Secretary of State for International Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rahul Chhabra also called on President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Deputy Prime Minister Soares Sambu in the meeting. Apart from Guinea Bissau officials, he also interacted with prominent members of the Indian community.

According to the MEA release, India and GB both sides took stock of exchanges of bilateral visits, holding Joint Commission and FOC meetings, bilateral trade, and investments, development partnership, capacity building, people to people linkages, and opening of resident missions, along with regional and global issues.

India and Guinea Bissau bilateral relation

India and Guinea Bissau, both have very friendly bilateral relations between themselves and hopes to grow stronger in the future. They appreciated their cooperation on COVID-19 related issues like the supply of medicines and made in India COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX initiative. Currently, the bilateral trade between India and Guinea Bissau is USD 135 million which is below potential. As per the current bilateral relation and trade, there is considerable scope for higher growth.

India is the biggest export partner of Guinea Bissau as it exports around 90% of GB's raw cashew nuts. Both sides are on the way to expand their trade basket and organization of business delegations & roadshows with each other, on virtual and in-person platforms. India has also extended its developmental assistance to GB worth over USD 25 million under credit lines. As per the MEA release, ANI reported that India will continue to extend its capacity-building support with the help of scholarships and skill development training under ITEC. India and GB, both decided to have bilateral relation meetings at regular intervals.

(IMAGE: AP/@INDDIPLOMATS-FACEBOOK)