Special Envoy of India for Sudan and South Sudan and Special
Secretary (Development Partnership Administration), Ministry of External
Affairs, PS Raghavan, paid an official visit to Juba, South Sudan on
08-09 August 2013. The visit came only a day after the swearing in of
the new 18-member South Sudanese Cabinet, reflective of India’s strong
commitment in partnering South Sudan, which gained independence only in
July 2011, in its political transition process. In fact, Raghavan was
the first foreign dignitary to interact with the new South Sudanese
leadership.
Raghavan had detailed discussions with the President of South Sudan
H.E. Gen Salva Kiir, as well as with the key Ministers of Foreign
Affairs; Electricity; Health; Agriculture and Rural Development;
Petroleum, Mining and Industry as well as high level officials of the
Ministry of Finance. He also interacted with key members of the Indian
community based in Juba as well as representatives of the Indian
contingent of the peacekeepers attached to the United Nations Mission
for South Sudan (UNMISS). India has two battalions of 2200 personnel in
UNMISS, deployed in two of the largest states in South Sudan, Jonglei
and Upper Nile, since 2011.
The visit was useful for identifying India’s development projects for
South Sudan. The programme has two main components of capacity building
and infrastructure development in key areas of health, education, solar
electrification, mining, agriculture, fisheries, food processing,
electoral management and hydrocarbons. Additionally, an offer was made
to the South Sudanese side for granting concessional lines of credit
(LOC) for undertaking other sustainable development projects, in
alignment with its socio-economic priorities.
Raghavan stressed the importance of India’s energy security in
bilateral cooperation. ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has made substantial
investments in the hydrocarbon sector in South Sudan over the last ten
years, and has expressed interest in further expanding its operations,
when conditions permit.
The visit was also undertaken in preparation for the forthcoming
visit of the South Sudanese President to India, scheduled from 26-28
August 2013. President Kiir will be accompanied by a high level
delegation of Ministers, senior officials and business leaders.
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