India and Mozambique on Wednesday discussed ways to intensify cooperation in maritime security, ocean economy and defence as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi in New Delhi.
"Africa and the Indian Ocean are among the highest priorities for our foreign policy. Mozambique is crucial for both," he said.
He said that the southeast African nation, bordering the Indian Ocean, "can be a large and a proximate source of natural gas, coal and other minerals" for India and it also offers huge opportunities in agriculture sector.
"So, as we seek to deepen our relations with Mozambique and enhance our engagement in the Indian Ocean Region and Africa, we are pleased that President Nyusi is visiting us now," Modi said.
From Mozambique to the Marshall Islands, and Tanzania to Tuvalu, the Indian Prime Minister's outreach is couched in traditional ties but rooted in specific strategic concerns linked to China's incursions in the Indian Ocean and rising tensions in the Asia Pacific, senior officials said.
Trade between the two countries has multiplied five times in the last five years and the Prime Minister said he was happy that Indian investments in these sectors have grown significantly in recent years. Mozambique hosts nearly 25 per cent of Indian investments in Africa.
Modi said that 20,000 people of Indian origin in Mozambique are an important link between the two nations.
Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi has expressed keenness for India to partner his country in developing the arable land in his nation.
Mozambique, a country in Southeast Africa, is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east. It is among the fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa with an average annual real GDP growth of eight percent.