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Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his five-nation tour and departed for New Delhi on Wednesday, marking the end of a significant diplomatic journey that took him to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and finally Namibia.
PM Modi started his five-nation tour on July 2 and concluded it on July 9, marking a busy week-long diplomatic engagement. Earlier in the day, PM Modi had several engagements, including his address to the Namibian Parliament, where he received a standing ovation from the members after his speech. Addressing the Parliament of Namibia, PM Modi said, "We seek not to compete, but to cooperate. Our goal is to build together. Not to take, but to grow together. Our development partnership in Africa is worth over 12 billion dollars, but its real value is in shared growth and shared purpose. We believe that Africa must not be just a source of raw materials. Africa must lead in value creation and sustainable growth. That is why we fully support Africa's Agenda 2063 for industrialisation." He also expressed his happiness, saying, "We are thrilled that Namibia is the first country to adopt India's UPI-Unified Payment Interface technology. Soon, people will be able to send money faster than one can say "Tangi Unene," which means Thank you very much. Food security, defence cooperation, Deployment of UPI for real-time payment in Namibia, and Capacity building by India are among the key outcomes from PM Modi's visit to Namibia. Both countries also discussed the 2nd Phase of Cheetah relocation, says MEA's Secretary, ER Dammu Ravi, during a special briefing. Meanwhile, Namibia expressed solidarity with India over the Pahalgam terror attack. Earlier today, PM Modi also received Namibia's highest civilian award, the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, from Namibia's President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the honour to the people of Namibia and both nations' "unbreakable friendship." "Our friendship was not born out of politics but out of struggle, cooperation, and mutual trust," PM Modi said after receiving the award. PM Modi also paid homage to the Founding Father and the First President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, at the Heroes Acre memorial. PM Modi was formally received by President Nandi-Ndaitwah at the State House in Windhoek, where the two leaders shook hands. Both leaders hold delegation-level talks in Windhoek, Namibia. Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was given a ceremonial and traditional welcome at the airport. PM Modi arrived in Namibia after concluding his two-day State visit to Brazil, where he attended the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro and held bilateral talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia. Namibia is the final stop in the Prime Minister's five-nation tour, which also included visits to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, and Brazil. (ANI)
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