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Mining Alliances, South-South Ties: What Modi's Five-Nation Tour Signals

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a five-nation tour on Wednesday that will take him to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. Coming at a time of growing geopolitical flux and strategic competition for critical resources, the visit underscores New Delhi's twin goals - deepening South-South cooperation and securing access to rare earth minerals crucial for India's green and technological future. Modi will be in Ghana on July 2-3, Trinidad and Tobago on July 3-4, Argentina on July 4-5, Brazil on July 5-8 during the course of which he will participate in this year's BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit, and Namibia on July 9. First Leg: Ghana In a pre-departure statement on Wednesday ahead of embarking for Ghana, Modi said that the West African nation is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). "I look forward to my exchanges aimed at further deepening our historical ties and opening up new windows of cooperation, including in the areas of investment, energy, health, security, capacity building and development partnership," he stated. "As fellow democracies, it will be an honour to speak at the Parliament of Ghana." This will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to Ghana in 30 years after the visit of then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 1995. In a special media briefing here ahead of the Prime Minister's visit, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that the economic agenda will dominate the bilateral talks between Modi and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. "The bilateral trade between India and Ghana is about $3 billion in favour of Ghana because of the large imports of gold," Ravi said, adding, "Investments in Ghana are about $2 billion. Both, private sector-wise, which is about a billion dollars and in the second half, you have lines of credit and the buyer's credit... activities and projects have been undertaken. We have very strong cooperation in the capacity building under ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation), and that is continuing to be stronger and deepened." India has been supporting Ghana's development by providing assistance in developmental projects through concessional lines of credit (LoCs) and grants. To date, India has extended about $450 million of concessional credit and grants to Ghana for various projects. India is among the top trading partners of Ghana and is the largest destination for Ghanaian exports. Ghana has a positive trade balance with India, mainly due to huge imports of gold by India, which accounts for over 70 per cent of total imports from Ghana. Ghana's main exports to India are gold, cocoa, cashew nuts and timber products. India's major exports to Ghana include pharmaceuticals, agricultural machinery, transport vehicles, electrical equipment, plastics, iron and steel, ethyl alcohol beverages and spirits, cereals and made-up textiles, among others. Ravi said that memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on critical minerals and digital public infrastructure (DPI) are likely to be concluded during the course of the Ghana leg of the visit. "In terms of critical minerals, the new technologies of the 21st century all depend on these elements," he said. "We have to be aware of the fact that for these technologies, critical minerals are very, very important. We have to find ways to get bilateral understanding mechanisms in order to capture them. Not just in terms of bilaterals, but also in terms of partner countries." There is a sizeable Indian community in Ghana numbering over 15,000. Some of them have been in Ghana for over 70 years. Some families are now their fourth generation in Ghana, and most have acquired Ghanaian citizenship. Several expatriates are also working for MNCs and prominent local Ghanaian businesses as skilled workers. Second Leg: Trinidad & Tobago In the second leg of his visit, Modi will land in Port of Spain, the capital of the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, for a two-day visit on July 3. This will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to Trinidad & Tobago since 1999, when then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited the Caribbean nation. Modi said that during his visit to Trinidad & Tobago, he will hold meetings with President Christine Carla Kangaloo and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has recently assumed office for the second term. Both Kangaloo and Persad-Bissessar are persons of Indian origin. "Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago 180 years ago," Modi's pre-departure statement reads. "This visit will provide an opportunity to rejuvenate the special bonds of ancestry and kinship that unite us." In the special media briefing, Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that bilateral ties between India and Trinidad & Tobago are rooted in shared democracies, pluralism, and a vibrant diaspora connect. "Trinidad & Tobago is home to one of the largest Indian diasporas in the region," Malhotra said. "In fact, the Indian origin community in T&T comprises 40 to 45 per cent of its population." She further stated that India's development partnership with Trinidad & Tobago is robust and diverse. "It includes capacity-building initiatives, grant-based projects, and healthcare initiatives," she said. "Both sides are now seeking to expand and diversify our cooperation into emerging areas, such as pharmaceuticals, tertiary care, renewable energy, digital public infrastructure, agriculture, and disaster resilience, in addition to innovation and technology." The bilateral trade between India and Trinidad & Tobago stood at $341.61 million, according to figures shared by the Department of Commerce. A sizeable amount of indirect trade takes place between the two sides through third countries in North America and Europe. Major items of India's exports to Trinidad & Tobago include vehicles, rolling stock, parts and accessories, iron and steel, pharmaceutical products, plastic and articles. Major items of India's imports from the Caribbean nation are mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances, mineral waxes, iron and steel, ores, slag and ash, and aluminium. Through cultural diplomacy and support for Ayurveda, yoga, and language promotion, India will seek to broaden its Caribbean soft power influence during the course of Modi's visit. Third Leg: Argentina In the third leg of his visit, Modi will land in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, on July 4 on a two-day visit. Though Modi had travelled earlier to Argentina for a G20 meeting in 2018, this will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to the South American nation in the last 57 years. "Argentina is a key economic partner in Latin America and a close collaborator in the G20," Modi's pre-departure media briefing reads. "I look forward to my discussions with President Javier Milei, whom I also had the pleasure of meeting last year. We will focus on advancing our mutually beneficial cooperation, including in the areas of agriculture, critical minerals, energy, trade, tourism, technology, and investment." In the special media briefing, P Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that Modi's visit to Argentina comes at a particularly significant time as Argentina is undertaking major economic reforms somewhat similar to those India went through in the past. "India's advancements in defence manufacturing, in the space sector, in new areas such as information technology and DPI can offer valuable expertise, and we can share experiences with Argentina," Kumaran said. "Our expertise in telemedicine and digital healthcare solutions is also an offer for Argentina in expanding access to medical services and improving overall quality and cost-effective healthcare delivery." He further highlighted that Argentina holds the world's second-largest shale gas reserves and the fourth-largest shale oil reserves, along with substantial conventional oil and gas deposits, making it a potentially important energy partner for India in the future. "Argentina's rich reserves of critical minerals such as lithium, copper and other rare earth elements complement India's growing need for secure and sustainable supplies to these elements for its clean energy transition and industrial growth," Kumaran said, adding, "India's public sector unit KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Limited) has already won a few concessions in Argentina since 2024. Our leaders will be discussing more on this subject." It is worth mentioning here that India and Argentina signed an agreement for lithium exploration in the South American nation by an Indian company in January this year. With this, New Delhi's reliance on China for this critical clean energy source will be reduced significantly. As the world pivots towards cleaner energy solutions, India's strategic move into the heart of Argentina's lithium deposits signals a transformative shift in the narrative of global supply chains. Till now, almost 54 per cent of India's lithium purchases have come from China. Australia and Chile currently dominate raw materials output, while China is the world's largest refiner of this mineral. But the signing of the agreement between KABIL and Argentina's Catamarca Minera y Energética Sociedad del Estado at Catamarca, Argentina, will lead to a significant diversion of New Delhi's lithium global import sources. Fourth Leg: Brazil From Argentina, Modi will travel to Brazil to attend this year's BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7. "As a founding member, India is committed to BRICS as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies," Modi stated, and added, "Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order. On the sidelines of the Summit, I will also meet several world leaders." A joint declaration to be adopted following the BRICS Summit is expected to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. "I will travel to Brasilia for a bilateral state Visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly six decades," Modi further stated. "This visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen our close partnership with Brazil, and work with my friend, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on advancing the priorities of the Global South." According to Kumaran, the visit will be a significant milestone in the India-Brazil strategic partnership and is envisaged to add renewed momentum to the strategic partnership, which both sides agreed to in 2006. "On the trade front, India's trade with Brazil is the largest compared to any other country in Latin America," the Secretary (East) said. "It had reached $16.6 billion in 2022-23, and following the drop in oil and gas prices, it is now around $12.2 billion, with India enjoying a trade surplus as we export goods worth $6.7 billion to Brazil and import goods worth $5.4 billion. Both leaders have set a bilateral trade target of $20 billion during their last meeting in November 2024." He further stated that the two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen and diversify bilateral trade, including through expansion of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between India and the Southern Common Market (commonly known by the abbreviation MERCOSUR in Spanish and MERCOSUL in Portuguese) as Brazil is holding the chairship of MERCOSUR from July 1. "India and Brazil are strong proponents of Global South cooperation," Kumaran said. "We also collaborate closely across all global platforms, of which we both are members, including BRICS, G20, IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa), and, of course, the United Nations. We also collaborate closely as members of G4 (India, Japan, Germany and Brazil), seeking comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council. We are looking at a few important bilateral MoUs and agreements, especially in renewable energy, agricultural research, and security cooperation." Fifth Leg: Namibia The fifth and final leg of the tour will take Modi to the southwest African nation of Africa. This will be the first prime ministerial visit from India to Namibia in 27 years. Modi described Namibia as a trusted partner with whom India shares a common history of struggle against colonialism. "I look forward to meeting President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and charting a new roadmap for cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, our regions and the wider Global South," he stated. "It will be a privilege to also address the joint session of the Namibian Parliament as we celebrate our enduring solidarity and shared commitment for freedom and development." In the special media briefing ahead of Modi's departure, Secretary (Economic Relations) Ravi said that India's investments in Namibia are about $800 million, mostly in mineral resources like zinc and diamond processing. "In the development cooperation area, the capacity building, defence cooperation, and defence training of the personnel of Namibia, the Centre for Excellence of Information Technology that we have set up," he stated. Ravi further highlighted the importance of India-Namibia cooperation in rare earth minerals. "Namibia is a very resource-rich country," he said. "It has natural resources of uranium, copper, cobalt, rare earths in large numbers, lithium, graphite, tantalum, and all of these are of interest to us. In recent times, Namibia has also discovered new oilfields. There, again, is going to be a broad understanding of the partnership in hydrocarbons. Namibia is also keen to engage with us in agriculture and pharma, and we will be exploring India's low-cost solutions like DPI, Janaushadhi, traditional medicine, and Ayurveda." To sum up, Modi's five-nation tour is not merely a diplomatic routine; it's a strategic recalibration of India's external engagement model with the developing world. It signals a vision where India is no longer just a South Asian power or an aspiring global actor but a central node in a new South-South axis defined by shared development goals, strategic mineral cooperation, and multipolar solidarity. By reaching out to Africa, South America, and the Caribbean in one comprehensive trip, Modi is laying down a bold marker for India's future - one in which geopolitics, geoeconomics, and georesources will be driven by new alliances of the Global South, with India positioned to lead. Also Read PM Modi Departs For 5-Nation Visit; To Attend BRICS Summit In Brazil's Rio De Janeiro

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