At a brief ceremony held yesterday, on the occasion of the visit to India by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (Africa), a landmark MoU was signed between the two countries wherein, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) will set up a Space Centre in that country.

Signed in the presence of Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) DoNER and MoS In-charge Department of Space Dr Jitendra Singh, the MoU will enable closer cooperation by the two countries in Space activities. Most significantly, it will enable ISRO to set up an important station in that island country, which will enhance India’s Space capabilities in wide range of areas including communication, Space monitoring, remote sensing, etc.

The terms of the framework agreement signed today will also enable joint space research and development activities, cooperation in providing satellite launch services and development of ground infrastructure for satellite programs.

The joint cooperation will particularly be relevant in carrying out exploration of outer Space and remote sensing in the African continent. This will also provide a major excess to India.

São Tomé and Príncipe, also known as the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa with a population of 208,818 according to the 2018 population census.