Freetown [Sierra Leone], May 29 (ANI): The group 4 delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde arrived in Sierra Leone, as part of a global outreach programme. The delegation was welcomed by Baisnab Charan Pradhan, the High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone.

In a post on X, India's High Commission in South Africa wrote, 'Pursuing India's renewed commitment to counterterrorism and regional stability, an All-party delegation led by@DrSEShindearrived at Freetown.'

https://x.com/FreetownHci/status/1927773452775088400

Earlier, on Wednesday, an all-party delegation led by Shrikant Shinde halted in Lome [Togo], for transit while en route to Sierra Leone and held discussions on Pakistan-based terrorism and Operation Sindoor.

India's former Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sujan Chinoy, stated that the developmental ties and trade between India and Sierra Leone are on the rise. Chinoy further added that there is also scope to enhance the developmental ties between Sierra Leone and India because of the diversity of minerals in the former.

'Relations between India and Sierra Leone are very good. We opened an embassy in Sierra Leone in 2020. But our diplomatic relations go back to 1961 when they achieved independence. Sierra Leone is a very important country; it's currently a non-permanent member of the UNSC. Our trade and other developmental ties are on the rise. We have about roughly 80-100 million US Dollars worth of bilateral trade...' Chinoy told ANI.

'But there is scope to enhance this because Sierra Leone is rich in minerals. We should also encourage our mining countries to take a fresh look at Sierra Leone. We also have a very large number of lines of credit worth roughly USD 250 million that have been extended to Sierra Leone. We also have a very active ITEC program plus ICCR scholarships that are available to people from Sierra Leone for capacity building,' he further added.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Biju Janata Dal's Sasmit Patra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy are also part of the Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde-led delegation.

The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders.

The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)