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India and Lesotho reviewed the entire spectrum of their bilateral cooperation during the sixth meeting of the Joint Bilateral Commission for Cooperation (JBCC), reaffirming their commitment to strengthening ties in areas such as trade, development partnership, capacity building and multilateral cooperation.
According to a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release, the sixth meeting of the JBCC was held in New Delhi on July 30 and was co-chaired by Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (East and Southern Africa), Ministry of External Affairs, and Thabang P Lekhela, Principal Secretary in Lesotho's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations. According to the press release, both sides reviewed the full range of bilateral engagement, including trade and economic cooperation, development partnership, skilling and capacity building, as well as collaboration at regional and multilateral forums. The MEA said the visiting Lesotho delegation also met Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela on July 31 and separately held discussions with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and the Department of Commerce to explore ways to enhance cooperation across sectors of mutual interest. The press release noted that India and Lesotho share close ties of friendship rooted in their common commitment to promoting South-South cooperation. Both countries agreed that the next meeting of the Joint Bilateral Commission for Cooperation will be held in Maseru in 2027. Earlier, the MEA had said that the two countries undertook a comprehensive review of bilateral relations, with particular focus on development partnership, capacity building, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and coordination at the United Nations and other multilateral platforms. According to Lesotho's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, the two sides also advanced discussions on several proposed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreed to sign them at the earliest opportunity. India further reiterated its invitation to Lesotho to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), highlighting opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy and resilient infrastructure. (ANI)
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