Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is on a visit to Comoros and Sierra Leone from 10-14 October, was conferred with 'The Order of the Green Crescent', the highest Civilian Honour of Comoros, on Friday, 11 October, by President of Comoros Azali Assoumani.
"It is an honour to have been conferred 'The Order of the Green Crescent', the highest Civilian Honour of Comoros, by the President of the Union of Comoros, Mr Azali Assoumani, in Moroni today," official Twitter account of Vice President of India tweeted.
Vice President Naidu and President Assoumani held wide ranging talks in Moroni and the two countries signed six agreements, including one on defence cooperation.
“Witnessed the signing of 6 crucial agreements between India and Comoros today. An MoU on Defence Cooperation and important agreements on health and culture were signed. We have also decided to exempt each other from Visa for diplomatic and official passport holders for short visits,” another tweet said.
India to Extend Line of Credit of USD 20 Million
"Being maritime neighbours, India and Comoros have excellent scope for cooperation and enhancing our defence ties, especially in the maritime domain. As Indian Ocean countries, our maritime security is interlinked," he said.
Naidu also announced that India will extend a Line of Credit of USD 20 million to Comoros for strengthening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation.
Addressing the parliament of Comoros at Moroni, the capital of the island nation after holding bilateral talks with President Assoumani, Naidu said even as political stability and peaceful transition takes place in Comoros, terrorism has, time and again, threatened to derail this process.
“Terrorist groups threaten peace and stability and render state institutions vulnerable. Piracy and maritime threats as well as cross border transnational crimes, including cyber crimes, have only added new dimensions to the problem.”Vice President Venkaiah Naidu
"As a country which continues to be a victim of cross border terrorism, India is willing and ready to partner with Comoros, and supplement Comoros efforts, to neutralise these threats, particularly in the maritime domain," he added.
He also met the Indian diaspora and said that "they must share their prosperity with their Comorian brothers and sisters and make them partners in progress."
He also said that both the countries share friendly and cordial relations which are historical and they face similar challenges and have identical views on important, regional and global issues.
India shares close, warm and friendly relations with Comoros which are cemented by mutual trust, development partnership and presence of a small but significant Indian diaspora, the Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said.
India has extended concessional lines of credit of USD 41.6 million for setting up of an 18 MW power plant in Moroni. The bilateral trade reached USD 47.11 million in 2018-19, the statement said.
On the second leg of his visit, the vice president will arrive in Free Town, Sierra Leone, on 12 October. This is vice president's first-ever high-level visit to the two countries.
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