As part of India's efforts to reach out to people of Malawi, Vice President Hamid Ansari today announced an assistance of $55 million for the southern African country.
Addressing a banquet held in his honour here, Ansari, who is on a week-long tri-nation visit to Africa, said India would like to extend a Line of Credit of $50 million for Malawi to support its development goals besides giving four million in grants for its agriculture, health and education sectors.
The Indian Vice President also announced a grant of one million dollar as emergency relief for the country following a series of earthquakes that caused loss of lives and property there.
He said the ties of friendship between India and Malawi are based on same values and commitments.
Sources said that the issue of Indian assistance, in exploring the uranium mines in Malawi, came up during discussions between Ansari and Malawi President in their over 40-minute closed-door discussions.
"It was discussed as part of exploring a whole range of minerals. We are interest in all types of energy minerals including coal," said a top source in the government.
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"Malawi has good mineral resources in which we are interested, but there are things which are being examined in some depth," the Vice President had said while starting his three-nation visit on January 5.
Minister of Labour and Employment Harish Rawat, who was part of the delegation that met the Malawi President, said that the latter sought India's cooperation in power, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and capacity building.
The Malawi President said it could happen either in Public Private Partnership (PPP) or Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) mode, Rawat added.
The Malawi President, while seeking India's cooperation in power generation in his country, said during the banquet speech that "we have wind energy, solar energy, and nuclear energy and now we have uranium." He said Malawi has a vast potential for energy generation.
He also sought India's help in pharmaceutical industry.
Ansari, while acknowledging the established bilateral engagements between the two countries, underlined the need to step up significantly the cooperation in agriculture, trade investment and education and explore new areas of engagement.
The Vice President also said that India, along with its partners in Africa, would announce a joint plan of action at the continental level this year and a follow-up mechanism to implement the frame-work of Indo-African cooperation.
Describing the pan-African e-network project as a "shining symbol of South-South cooperation," Ansari noted with happiness that the project has been commissioned in Malawi, which he said will endeavour to bridge the digital divide.
CPI MP D Raja, who is part of the Indian delegation visiting Zambia, Malawi and Botswana, said that there is a feeling in these countries that India is more dependable.
Earlier, Ansari was given a warm welcome on his arrival at Kamuzu international airport in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.
India hopes to finalise a number of bilateral engagements for hi-tech assistance in specific areas like agriculture, education and small and medium industries during his meetings with representatives of the Malawian government.
President of Malawi Bingu wa Mutharika, who hosted the dinner in the honour of Ansari, recalled his association with India, calling himself a "product of India".
Mutharika, who pursued his Graduate and Masters degrees from Delhi University, spoke fondly of Punjabi Bhangra dance and Indian festivals, saying, "sometimes I consider India as my second home."
Ansari invited the Malawian President for a visit to India saying he would then be able to see how much the country has changed in last 40 years after his student days there.
The President also chose the occasion to seek India's assistance in hydro-power generation and mining as well as in the area of food security in the country
China has been taking interest in the recent past in the mineral-rich African nation.