India signs MoU to set up Centre of Excellence in IT in Vanuatu

The Dollar Business Bureau

India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vanuatu to establish a Centre of Excellence in IT (CEIT) in that country.

The MoU was signed in the presence of India’s Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines Minister, Piyush Goyal and Vanuatu’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bruno Leingkone Tau.

“Piyush Goyal and Bruno Leingkone Tau signed an MoU on establishing India-Vanuatu Centre of Excellence in IT (CEIT). Further, Vanuatu expressed its support and desire to join the International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France in November 2015,” said an official release.

Goyal, leading a 13-member delegation, was on a visit to Vanuatu on October 25-26, 2016, which is the first ever ministerial visit from India to the country. During his visit, he held a meeting with Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, and discussed their bilateral relations.

During the visit, Goyal handed over a $1,90,000 cheque to Vanuatu’s Foreign Affairs Minister as an assistance to provide ICT equipments to 76 schools of Vanuatu, to contribute in the development of education sector of the country.

In addition, Goyal also announced that India will supply $2,00,000 worth of LED bulbs and other energy efficient equipment to Vanuatu, under India’s annual grant, which will help to cut the energy consumption and help in saving electricity consumption worth millions of dollars, the release said.

In return Vanuatu expressed its support for India’s candidature to the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and also conveyed its support for India’s candidature for non-permanent seat at UNSC for 2021-22, it said.

Goyal interacted with Vanuatu citizens who were benefitted with various courses under the Indian Technical Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. He also interacted with the Indian nationals in Vanuatu and various persons of Indian origin (PIOs).