Addressing the Ghanian Parliament, PM Narendra Modi described India as mother of democracy and pointed out that the nation has over 2,500 political parties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, the country's highest civilian honour, by President John Mahama on Wednesday.
When he said, “India has over 2,500 political parties” and paused for a while to smile ... murmurs rippled through the chamber.
“I repeat, 2,500 political parties,” he chuckled, prompting louder reactions from the parliamentarians.
Following PM Modi's address, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, also repeated the humongous figure of "2,500 political parties", which elicited laughter from Ghana MPs as well as PM Modi.
“True democracy promotes discussion and debate. It unites people, it supports dignity and promotes human rights,” he said.
"Hamare liye loktantra system nahi, sanskaar hai," PM Modi said in Hindi. He then repeated the sentence in English,
" For us, democracy is not just a system, it is a part of our fundamental values."
He highlighted India’s vast diversity as a strength of its democratic fabric. “Twenty different parties governing different states, 22 official languages, thousands of dialects. This is also the reason that people who have come to India have always been welcomed with open hearts,” he said.
“The same spirit helps Indians integrate easily wherever they go,” PM Modi added.
Modi arrived in Ghana's Accra on Wednesday, marking the first visit by an Indian PM to the African country in over 30 years.
As he stepped onto Ghanaian soil, PM Modi was greeted with chants of 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna.'
The Prime Minister was received by President John Mahama, who presented him with a ceremonial guard of honour.
Later, PM Modi held a delegation-level meeting with President Mahama at Jubilee House in Accra.
"We were unanimous that terrorism is the enemy of humanity. We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism. We have decided to strengthen our cooperation in counter-terrorism. Our views regarding the UN reforms are similar," said PM Modi after talks with Ghana's President Mahama.
"We believe that this is not the time for a war. Problems must be solved through dialogue and diplomacy," PM Modi said.
"In the field of defence and security, we will move forward with the mantra of 'Security through Solidarity'
"India is not just a partner but a co-traveller in Ghana's nation-building journey," PM Modi said.
"Our bilateral trade has crossed USD 3 billion. Indian companies have invested 2 billion dollars in around 900 projects. We have decided to double our trade within the next 5 years. In the area of FinTech, Bharat UPI will share the digital payment experience with Ghana," PM Modi said.
"It is a matter of pride for India that under our G20 presidency, the African Union got permanent membership of the G20," the Prime Minister said.
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