New Delhi, March 25: India has dispatched 1,000 metric tons of rice to Sierra Leone to support its school mid-day meal program. This initiative underscores India’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with Global South countries and supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, announced on the social media platform X, stating, “The partnership with the Global South is working. Today, India has sent 1,000 metric tons of rice to assist Sierra Leone’s school mid-day meal program. This step aligns with India’s commitment to strengthen cooperation with Global South countries and support sustainable development goals.”
Last March, India and Sierra Leone held the second round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in New Delhi, reviewing bilateral relations across various sectors, including trade, investment, health and pharmaceuticals, education, and people-to-people connections.
The meeting was co-chaired by Sevala Naik Mude, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, and Alan C.E. Logan, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone.
According to the MEA statement, “India has pledged to continue supporting Sierra Leone in advancing capacity building and development partnerships across various sectors.” Both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the India Stack following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the shared use of successful digital solutions at the population level and discussed further actions in this area.
The statement further noted, “Both parties agreed to deepen and diversify bilateral relations in key areas such as defense cooperation, energy development, and development cooperation.”
During the meeting, both countries discussed regional and global issues of significance and explored collaboration within multilateral organizations, including the United Nations.
Sierra Leone agreed to consider supporting India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2028-29. Additionally, it agreed to expedite the signing of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) agreement and the process of joining the Global Biofuels Alliance.
India and Sierra Leone have maintained friendly and cordial relations for nearly six decades, based on shared values and common perspectives. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India remains committed to being a reliable partner in Sierra Leone’s development through soft loans, scholarships, and capacity building. The two countries also collaborate on various multilateral platforms, including the United Nations.
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