Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi today defended a commitment to “quality production” to ensure a competitive country, on the first day of a working visit to India.
“What we’ve been saying now is: we have to produce in quantity, but also invest in quality so that we can compete,” said Filipe Nyusi, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of the 10th edition of the Gujarat Global Summit, as part of his visit to India.
The four-day visit is the result of an invitation from the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, with whom Filipe Nyusi first attended the inaugural ceremony of the Summit and then a bilateral meeting.
At the opening ceremony, the President of East Timor, José Ramos Horta, was also among the guests of honour and visited the Mozambican pavilion.
“I congratulate Mozambique on its progress, which I didn’t know about. Mozambique is known for its cashews and prawns, which were not well processed. The progress that Mozambique has made in the last 10 years is fascinating, it’s fabulous,” José Ramos Horta told the media.
The Mozambican head of state’s visit to India is part of efforts to strengthen relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, as well as to promote investment opportunities in Mozambique, according to the presidency of the Portuguese-speaking African country.
Filipe Nyusi’s visit comes at a time when a court dispute between two companies over the liberalisation of pigeonpea exports to India has led to dozens of tonnes of the product being blocked at Mozambican ports.
At the end of December, the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) clarified that the detained pigeonpea is already being exported to India, reiterating that “free access to the market” is the best option to avoid similar problems.
The export of bóer beans to India, which is the main market for this product, is the result of a memorandum of understanding with Mozambique, signed in 2016, providing for exemption from customs duties for Indian importers.
India is the largest producer and consumer of pigeon peas, with the Indian press indicating a 10 per cent rise in the price of the product in the country in two months, precisely because of the difficulties in importing from Mozambique.
Lusa
