President Murmu reaches Angola as part of two-country state visit

President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Angola on Saturday, November 8, 2025, for the first leg of his six-day state visit to the African country and then to neighboring Botswana.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the binational visit from November 8 to 13 as part of India’s efforts to open new avenues for cooperation and expand partnership with the two countries in the African region.

According to the MEA, this is the first official visit by an Indian head of state to these countries.

Ms. Murmu was welcomed at the international airport in Angola’s capital, Luanda, by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tete Antonio, along with other senior officials from both countries.

Here, over the next three days, the President will hold high-level contacts, including bilateral meetings, with his Angolan counterpart Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, and will also attend the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the African country’s independence.

The president is also scheduled to address the Angolan parliament and interact with members of the Indian community.

“India and Angola have very close ties of friendship and cooperation that are growing across sectors. We have a vibrant energy partnership with Angola,” MEA Secretary (Economic Affairs) Sudhakar Dalela said at a press conference on Thursday. he said.

He said the visit will provide an opportunity to review the full scope of bilateral relations and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in sectors such as agriculture, health, energy, trade and investments, technology, infrastructure development, defense and people-to-people connections.

The minister also said the visit was “important” even though the two countries are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.

Ms. Murmu will begin the second leg of her visit on November 11 and travel to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

As part of his work here, he will meet with his counterpart Duma Gideon Boko, give a speech at the National Assembly and attend an event regarding the transportation of cheetahs to India within the scope of the Cheetah Project.

“We are confident that Mr. Rashtrapatiji’s visit will further strengthen India’s long-standing cooperative ties with Angola and Botswana and open new avenues to expand our cooperation and partnership.”

“This is also a reflection, as I said earlier, of India’s firm determination to further strengthen its multifaceted partnership with the African continent,” the minister said.

The president is accompanied on this trip by Minister of State for Railways Jal Shakti V Somanna and Lok Sabha MPs Prabhubhai Vasava and DK Aruna.