The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations is hosting a significant visit from Mr. Shri Puneet R. Kundal, the Joint Secretary of India’s Ministry of External Affairs for East and Southern Africa Division. Leading the Indian delegation to Lesotho from August 1 to 3, 2023, Mr. Kundal’s visit is centered around the 5th Lesotho-Indian Joint Bilateral Commission for Cooperation (JBCC) meeting scheduled for August 2. During his time in the Kingdom, he also paid a courtesy call to the Honourable Lejone Mpotjoana, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations. The purpose of this call is to discuss bilateral cooperation between India and Lesotho within the context of the JBCC.
Formal diplomatic relations between Lesotho and India were established in 1996 through the High Commission of Pretoria. Over the years, these sister countries have cultivated a close relationship characterized by mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s affairs. Their partnership has flourished in various areas, such as infrastructure development, health, capacity building, manpower development, and agriculture.
India’s role in Africa’s development has been vital through the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), where both regions collaborate to address socio-economic and development challenges. The next India-Africa Forum Summit is anticipated to convene in November 2023 in New Delhi.
Lesotho and India’s cooperation under the JBCC Agreement began in 2004. The agreement encompasses a wide range of areas for collaboration, with ongoing negotiations for various Memoranda of Understanding on topics like agriculture, health, medicine, mining, sports, arts, and culture.
Additionally, the agreement emphasizes people-to-people interactions and encourages high-level exchange visits between the countries. Capacity building is also a key aspect, benefiting Lesotho through training programs organized by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program (ITEC) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Notable achievements include agreements related to development projects, such as a Line of Credit amounting to US$ 5 million for agricultural equipment procurement in 2004 and a US$ 4.7 million agreement for the construction of Vocational Training Centers for women and youth empowerment in 2010.
The Indian government has contributed to educational initiatives, including the construction of the India-Lesotho Centre for Advanced Education in Information Technology at the Lerotholi Polytechnic. This project was handed over to the institution in November 2017, reflecting the ongoing collaboration between these two nations.
