There have been 23 visits to Africa by the President, Vice President and PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will gift 200 cows in Rwanda, his first stop in a five-day, three-nation tour of Africa starting today.
PM Modi's unusual gift to the east African country will be locally sourced, and is meant as a contribution to Rwandan President Kagame's flagship Girinka program, in which the poorest get cows from the government and gift the first female calf to a neighbor to promote brother hood.
PM Modi is travelling with a 100-member business delegation. His visit starts as Chinese President Xi Jinping winds up his state visit of Rwanda.
The two will meet later on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa, their third meeting this year.
"The visit to Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa will further strengthen our relations with the African continent," the External Affairs Ministry said.
There have been 23 visits to Africa by the President, Vice President and Prime Minister in the last four years.
From Rwanda, PM Modi will reach Uganda tomorrow in what will the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 21 years. From Uganda, he will reach South Africa.
The PM is expected to focus on cooperation in defence and agriculture during his bilateral visits to Rwanda and Uganda before he goes to South Africa for the annual Brazil, Russia, India China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit.
PM Modi is visiting mainland Africa for the second time since 2016, when he visited Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.
South Africa is organising the 10th BRICS leaders' Summit under the theme "BRICS in Africa: Collaboration with Developing Countries for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution".
With inputs from IANS