Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s visit to Brazil is important on many counts. Besides leading the Indian delegation at the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, the Union Minister’s visit is an important step towards strengthening agricultural trade, technology and innovation between India and Brazil. During Brazil visit the Union Minister stressed on promoting production and export of soya in India. He intends to upgrade Indian farmers by enabling them the benefits of global technologies. He said that joint efforts of various countries will strengthen global food security.

Iran and India are poised to enhance their agricultural trade volume beyond the current $1.0 billion, as announced by Iran’s Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh following a meeting with India's Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the BRICS agriculture ministers’ summit in Brazil. The ministers reviewed previous agreements and reaffirmed their countries’ longstanding cultural, historical, and economic ties. Nouri Ghezeljeh expressed appreciation for India’s support in facilitating Iran’s membership in BRICS and noted that bilateral cooperation is entering a new phase.

INS Sunayna, currently on deployment to Africa as Indian Ocean Ship IOS SAGAR arrived at Nacala Port, Mozambique. The ship had earlier participated in the inaugural session of the India-Africa maritime partnership exercise AIKEYME 25, at Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. IOS SAGAR is a unique mission based on the Government of India’s regional initiative of maritime collaboration titled SAGAR, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region. The mission is aimed at fostering international cooperation between India and several African countries.

India reaffirmed its position as a global frontrunner in digital transformation and skilling at Gitex Africa 2025, Africa’s premier tech and startup summit, held in Marrakesh. Representing the Republic of India, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, led a high-level delegation and participated in key discussions aimed at fostering inclusive and equitable growth through technology.

Ambassadors of the countries of the Global South accredited to Slovakia met in Bratislava for the first ever joint meeting. State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Marek Eštok, attended a working lunch together with the Ambassadors of Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Cuba, Libya, Palestine and Turkey at the invitation of the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Slovak Republic, Ayman Ali Kameel. Building strong and mutually beneficial partnerships with the countries of the Global South is, according to Secretary Eštok, one of the priorities of Slovak foreign policy and its multi-sectoral focus on all cardinal directions.

The founding conference of the Global South NGO Platform will be held in Baku on April 28, according to Aygun Aliyeva, Executive Director of the Azerbaijani Agency for State Support to NGOs. Aliyeva made the announcement at a press conference dedicated to the 4-year activity of the organization. She noted that representatives from nearly 100 countries will come together at the conference. "At the same time, this year it is planned to hold the Cooperation Forum of Azerbaijani NGOs in Khankandi. Thus, activities in the liberated territories will be strengthened," the director noted.

In a landmark move to advance public health, human development, and environmental sustainability, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $121 million in financing for the first phase of the Kyrgyz Republic Water Supply and Sanitation Universal Access Program. This large-scale initiative aims to ensure universal access to safe and reliable drinking water and adequate sanitation across the country over the next decade. The total financing envelope for the program over ten years stands at $400 million.

As part of its ongoing efforts to boost the competitiveness of Indonesia’s healthcare distribution and manufacturing sectors, IFC has committed an equity investment of IDR 197 billion (approximately $12 million) as a cornerstone investor in the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of PT Medela Potentia Tbk (Medela Potentia). The company is a leading distributor of healthcare and pharmaceutical products, as well as a manufacturer of medical devices in Indonesia. By participating in the IPO, IFC shows its support for companies leveraging capital markets to drive growth.

Djibouti and the African Development Bank have renewed their development partnership following a consultation mission to the country led by the institution’s Executive Director for Egypt and Djibouti, Dr. Khaled Sherif. The mission met with representatives of the Djiboutian government to discuss advancing development and economic priorities and enhancing cooperation. During the mission, the Executive Director seized the opportunity to explore avenues for future collaboration and to express support for initiatives to enhance education

Trainings focus on the topic of family planning to reduce poverty. The project also aims to reduce teenage pregnancies, end gender-based violence, stop female genital mutilation (FGM), and prevent HIV/AIDS. Media articles about family planning are included in the project. The "train the trainer" approach promotes further social development. In addition, women get access to an oil mill to reduce food insecurity. The project area is located in the Zinder Region in the south of Niger. The main target group are marginalised women and girls but also boys, men and village heads.

Egyptian Ambassador in Abuja Mohamed Fouad met with Nigerian Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate. They discussed means to boost cooperation in the fields of health care and pharmaceutical industry through signing a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of health of both countries. The diplomat said the meeting was part of efforts to promote cooperation in the health domain in light of the increase of numbers of Nigerians who arrive in Egypt to receive medical treatment.

Indonesia and Jordan have established strategic cooperation in the agricultural sector to strengthen food security in both countries. The partnership was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, and Jordan’s Minister of Agriculture, Khaled Al Henefat, in Amman. The MoU also outlines cooperation in the exchange of scientific and technical information, joint training programs, agricultural internships, and participation in agricultural exhibitions.