Modi meets Mozambique president

With New Delhi seeking to deepen engagements with nations on the rim of the Indian Ocean to counter the growing assertiveness of China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi on Wednesday agreed to give a fillip to the bilateral defence cooperation, with particular focus on maritime security.

After a meeting with Nyusi, Modi told journalists that they discussed ways to “intensify cooperation in maritime security and ocean economy”.

Nyusi, who took office in January this year, is currently on a five-day visit to India. Modi noted that India and Mozambique had “large coastlines” and were “linked by Indian Ocean”.  “In recent years,” he said, “our cooperation has included ship visits and hydrography surveys for Mozambique.”