President Droupadi Murmu visits seawater desalination project at Fouka in Algeria
Oct 15, 2024
Fouka [Algeria], October 15 : President Droupadi Murmu visited the seawater desalination project at Fouka on Tuesday, as part of her three-nation visit, marking a historic milestone as the first Indian President to visit the country.
President Murmu is on a three-nation tour of Africa, visiting Algeria, Mauritania, and Malawi from October 13 to 19.
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During her ongoing visit abroad, she paid floral tributes to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, on his birth anniversary in Algeria.
On Monday, Murmu addressed the India-Algeria Economic Forum and called for deeper economic cooperation between the two nations and affirmed, "It is time to further strengthen our partnership and impart new momentum towards a new era of cooperation."
The event, the first of its kind, was jointly organized by the Algerian Economic Renewal Council and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), with participation from both countries' business and government leaders, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Further, Murmu highlighted the historical ties between India and Algeria, recalling their shared values. "India had extended strong support to the Algerian struggle for freedom, and today, India and Algeria are committed to embark on the path of peace and prosperity," she remarked.
She also emphasised the growing importance of India-Africa relations, noting that India is now the fourth-largest trading partner of Africa, with bilateral trade amounting to USD 84 billion and investments exceeding USD 75 billion.
Murmu met and held talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, at the El Mouradia Palace on Monday, a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
President Murmu said that the leaders held discussions on various issues and resolved to further strengthen India-Algeria relations, with a special focus on trade and investment, the statement said.
Droupadi Murmu is India's 15th president, sworn into office on July 25, 2022. She's the first person from a tribal community and the second woman to hold this position. Before becoming president, Murmu served as the Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021 and was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2009.
