Ram Nath Kovind began his three-nation West Africa visit with a historic trip to Benin, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Head of State or Government to the country. In Cotonou, he was welcomed by President Patrice Talon at the Presidential Palace of the Marina.
During bilateral and delegation-level talks, both leaders discussed strengthening economic and strategic ties. India highlighted that it is Benin’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding US$ 800 million and around 100 Indian or Indian-owned companies operating in Benin. India also announced a new Line of Credit worth US$ 100 million for development projects, in addition to the ongoing US$ 42.6 million water supply project covering 103 villages.
The President also announced the extension of e-visa facilities to Benin and offered free tele-education courses for 15,000 students and tele-medicine training for 1,000 doctors and paramedics across Africa. Discussions also covered defence cooperation, anti-piracy training, climate change, and support for India’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council.
Both countries signed several agreements, including cooperation in culture, export credit and investment insurance, participation in the Pan Africa e-network project, and visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders.
