BISSAU: 1st India-Guinea Foreign Office Consultations

​BISSAU: The first round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), co-chaired by Mr. Sevala Naik Mude, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, and Mr. Abdoulaye Youla, Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Guinean Abroad, Republic of Guinea, were held on 18-19 October 2024, in Conakry, Republic of Guinea.

During the visit, Mr. Mude also called on H.E. Mr. Amadou Oury Bah, Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Morissanda Kouyate, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Guinean Abroad, H.E. Mr. Ismael Nabe, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, H.E. Mr. Bouna Sylla, Minister of Mines and Geology of the Republic of Guinea. In the meetings, the Guinean Ministers expressed deep appreciation for India’s efforts in making the African Union a permanent member of the G20. Guinea has also been an active participant in the Voice of Global South Summits hosted by India, and the Ministers recognized that membership of the G20 for the Africa Union will reinforce the Global South’s standing at the forum.

During the FOC, both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of India-Guinea bilateral relations encompassing key areas of bilateral cooperation including trade, investment, mining, defence, development cooperation, capacity building and people-to-people exchanges. They agreed to further deepen and diversify bilateral ties in key areas of contemporary relevance such as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), renewable energy, green economy and development cooperation. The Co-Chairs also held in-depth discussions and exchanged perspectives on key issues of regional and global importance.

India and Guinea share warm and friendly relations. The first ever state visit by the Hon’ble President of India in 2019, and reopening of India’s resident mission in Conakry in 2019, paved the way for enhanced interactions and laid a strong foundation for collaborative efforts across various sectors. India-Guinea bilateral trade was close to USD 2.1 billion in FY 2023-24. Also, Guinea is a beneficiary of the duty-free tariff preference scheme extended by India which facilitates Guinean exports of gold and other minerals to India. More than 40 Indian companies are operating in Guinea across various sectors including in infrastructure, mining, health, education, pharmaceuticals etc. There exists significant potential in other sectors like railways, telecommunications, and mineral exploration. Guinea is a member of the International Solar Alliance as well.

Both sides agreed to hold the next round of foreign office consultations in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.