India will always work for Africa's progress: Modi gets standing ovation as he addresses Namibian Parliament

Amid chants of "Modi, Modi", PM Modi received a standing ovation as he began his address to the Namibian Parliament.

Addressing the Parliament, Modi lauded the role of the government and people of Namibia in deepening democracy in the country.

Prime Minister thanked the people of Namibia for bestowing on him their highest national honor. He noted that this special gesture was a tribute to the achievements of the Indian and Namibian democracies.

As sentinels of freedom, equality and justice, he called upon the two countries to work for the betterment of the Global South, so that the voices of its people are not just heard, but their hopes and aspirations are fully realized.

"We are working together through initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Today, Namibia has joined the Global Biofuels Alliance, and the International Big Cats Alliance," he said.

He underlined that India will always work for the progress of Africa, as it had done during its presidency of the G-20 when the African Union was made a permanent member of the group.

"In 2018, I laid out ten principles of our engagement with Africa. Today, I reaffirm India’s full commitment to them. They are based on respect, equality, and mutual benefit. We seek not to compete, but to cooperate. Our goal is to build together. Not to take, but to grow together," he said.

He stated that India was privileged to share its development experience with Namibia and other countries on the continent. India remains committed to building capacity, developing skills, promoting local innovation, and supporting Africa’s Agenda 2063.

The Prime Minister thanked the Speaker for the honor extended to him. He called for greater people-to-people interaction between the two countries so that the two democracies could prosper.

"Let our children not only inherit the freedom we fought for, but also the future we will build together,” he said as he concluded his address.