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The fourth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Botswana were held in Gaborone on Thursday.
The Indian side was led by Puneet R Kundal, additional secretary (East and Southern Africa), and the Botswana side was led by Ambassador Clifford Maribe, Permanent Secretary (Acting) in the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation, informed the Ministry of External Affairs. During the FOC, both delegations took stock of the entire sweep of bilateral relations between India and Botswana, encompassing political exchanges, development partnerships, trade and investments, and consular issues, an MEA release said. Both sides also discussed the potential for cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, defence, health, arts and culture, and energy among others. It was agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation for the shared prosperity of the people of India and Botswana, the release added. Views were also exchanged on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest, including stepping up cooperation in the UN, it added. Both sides agreed to continue high-level engagements at official and political levels, including meetings of joint institutional mechanisms to keep the bilateral partnership robust. The Indian side also reiterated an invitation to Botswana to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). It was agreed that the next round of consultations would be held at mutually convenient dates in New Delhi, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. (ANI)
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