New Delhi, May 3: Angola’s President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco on Saturday was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, following which, he expressed hope in strengthening the bilateral ties between the two nations.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Angolan President as he arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Angolan President arrived in New Delhi on Friday for the first official state visit by a President from that country to India in 38 years. The four-day visit aims to boost diplomatic, economic, and strategic ties between the two nations.

Speaking to the reporters following the ceremonial welcome, President Lourenco said, “We have arrived in New Delhi, the capital of India, to hold this state visit, which is taking place after 38 years.”

“We see this visit as an important one for Angola in order to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. We are very thankful for the friendly and hospitable manner in which we were received yesterday by the people of India,” he added.

Upon his arrival in India on Friday, President Lourenco was warmly received at the airport by Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes several ministers, senior officials, and representatives from prominent business houses.

“Warm welcome to President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco of Angola as he lands in New Delhi on a State Visit. President is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including several ministers, senior officials, and business houses. On arrival, the President was accorded a special welcome and received by MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh at the airport,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.

Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh also shared the welcome message on his social media handle on X, saying, “Pleased to welcome President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco of Angola on a State Visit to India.”

This significant visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Angola. According to the MEA, it marks the first visit by an Angolan President to India since 1986.

During his stay, President Lourenco is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu. He will also engage in delegation-level discussions with Prime Minister Modi, who is expected to host a luncheon in his honour.

“A number of MoUs and agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, which will give a boost to bilateral relations,” the MEA said in an official statement.

On May 4, President Lourenco will participate in a business event in New Delhi, which aims to promote trade, investment, and commercial linkages between the two countries. The event is expected to bring together key stakeholders from sectors such as oil and gas, infrastructure, agriculture, and mining.

India and Angola enjoy strong and expanding ties, particularly in the energy sector. Bilateral trade reached $4.192 billion in the financial year 2023–24. Both nations also maintain close cooperation on international platforms and frequently support each other in forums such as the United Nations.

In October 2015, the Vice President of Angola, Manuel Vicente, visited India to participate in the 3rd India-Africa Summit, during which he met with Prime Minister Modi. During his visit to Johannesburg to attend the BRICS Summit, President Lourenco met PM Modi on July 26, 2018.

President Lourenco’s visit is anticipated to be a milestone in bilateral engagement, setting the stage for a more dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership. Both nations are looking to deepen collaboration and align their shared interests for long-term strategic growth.

Mumbai, May 2: Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan said that although Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed after the linguistic division, both have one soul.

He further stated that Maharashtra and Gujarat have uniquely contributed to the country’s freedom struggle and instilled a sense of patriotism among the people.

Under the Central government’s ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative, the statehood days of Maharashtra and Gujarat were celebrated on Thursday at Raj Bhavan in the presence of the Governor and Chancellor of State Universities Radhakrishnan.

“The states of Maharashtra and Gujarat have given India many great national figures, and today their identity is not limited to their native state. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the son of Maharashtra, is a role model for the entire country, while the philosophy of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, the son of Gujarat, has become a guide for the entire world today,” said the Governor.

He added that today, Gujarat and Maharashtra are making a valuable contribution to the country’s economy.

Giving historical evidence of the relations between Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the Governor said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had conquered the forts of Jinji and Vellore in Tamil Nadu and also worked to protect religion by establishing the Shiva temple in Tiruvannamalai. The Bhosale Raja of Thanjavur preserved rare Tamil literature in his ‘Saraswati Mahal’ library.

Stating that India has become a great nation today due to this cultural unity, the Governor expressed his belief that if the country maintains its unity in the future, it will become the number one nation in the world.

“Many world leaders question how India is a unified nation despite people of different religions and sects, speaking different languages, living in this country. But despite having different languages, different clothes and different food cultures, this country still has the foundation of religion and culture,” said the Governor.

The Governor expressed his belief that if this foundation of unity is preserved, India will become a developed nation.

On the occasion, the Governor appreciated the students of Savitribai Phule Pune University for presenting an excellent programme of folk dances and songs of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In the cultural programme, the students performed the state folk dances Koli, Waghya Murli, Dindi, and Tippani.

The students also performed the state song ‘Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat’. In the State Foundation Day programme, documentaries depicting the history, heritage, folk art and culture of both the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were shown, said the release issued by Raj Bhavan.

New Delhi, May 2: Many houses and vehicles were damaged due to falling of trees due to heavy rain and strong winds in Sheikh Sarai area of ​​​​the national capital Delhi on Friday. This accident happened around 5 am. Local people told that they have written letters to the administration several times demanding that the trees be removed, but no action has been taken in this direction so far.

Local resident Rakesh Sharma told Media, that this accident happened in the morning when there was a strong storm. Due to this many vehicles and houses were damaged. However, till now we do not know the exact number of vehicles that have been damaged. There are many such huge trees around here, about which I have written letters to the concerned officials several times, but no action has been taken so far.

He further told that earlier Manoj Vairy ji of the Horticulture Department had come here. He had inspected the entire area. But, no action has been taken so far.

Another local resident Praveen Vats said that this accident happened due to a storm at 5 am. Many houses were damaged and many vehicles were damaged due to the fall of these huge trees. Due to this many people could not go to school and office.

He said that we have already written a letter to the officials in this regard, but no action has been taken in this direction so far. Not only this, we had written a letter to the officials and drawn their attention to the fact that there are about 35 to 40 such trees around us, which are very huge. Certainly, if they are not cut short in time, then it can cause a major accident in the future.

He said that we respect the environment. We want trees and plants around us, but we have to take care that such huge trees do not become the cause of any major accident. We have written a letter to the officials and asked them to cut these trees short, so that we do not have to face any accident in the future.