Gaborone [Botswana], November 13 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu addressed the Indian community in Gaborone on Thursday, highlighting the longstanding ties between India and Botswana and the growing cooperation reflected during her ongoing state visit.

Speaking to the gathering, the President said, 'This moment is even more historic as India and Botswana celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2026. I have been told that 10,000 Indians are actively involved in different sectors, including business and industry, in Botswana. I congratulate you all on being proud ambassadors of India.'

Her interaction with the diaspora followed a symbolic handover of cheetahs by Botswana for translocation to India under Project Cheetah. The event, held at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve in the presence of Botswana President Duma Boko, underscored the expanding partnership between the two countries.

As part of the ceremony, cheetahs originally captured from Ghanzi were released into a quarantine facility by experts from both nations. The move marked Botswana's symbolic donation of eight cheetahs to aid India's efforts to regenerate its cheetah population.

These cheetahs will remain in quarantine before being transported to India, where they will join the ongoing initiative to reintroduce the species decades after its extinction in the country. Earlier phases of Project Cheetah saw eight cheetahs brought from Namibia in September 2022, followed by twelve from South Africa in February 2023.

President Murmu's engagements in Botswana came after her visit to Angola, the first stop of her two-nation tour from November 8 to 11. The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Angolan President Joao Lourenco, reaffirmed New Delhi's push to strengthen ties with Africa and the wider Global South.

After completing her programmes in Angola, the President arrived in Botswana on November 11, marking the first-ever state visit by an Indian head of state to the country. The second leg of her African tour focused on deepening cooperation across sectors such as trade, investment, technology, energy, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, defence and people-to-people exchanges.

During her stay, President Murmu held bilateral meetings and addressed Botswana's National Assembly. Botswana had earlier expressed its willingness to work closely with India on Project Cheetah, including future translocation efforts, further reinforcing the expanding strategic and environmental partnership between the two nations. (ANI)