India offers USD 170 million line of credit to Guinea during Prez Kovind's visit

India offered a USD 170 million line of credit to Guinea on Friday for the development of a water supply project here as President Ram Nath Kovind met with his Guinean counterpart Alpha Conde and discussed ways to boost defence ties and combat terrorism.

Kovind, who arrived here from Gambia on Friday on the last leg of his three-nation tour, is the first Indian head of state to visit the West African nation. His visit is aimed at strengthening friendship and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries signed three memoranda of understanding on traditional system of medicine and homeopathy, renewable energy and technology upgradation of the Pan African e-network project.

President Kovind announced a new line of credit of USD 170 million for water supply project of metropolitan city of Conakry, a joint statement said.

The two leaders also expressed their concern over the rise of extremism and terrorism around the world.

They called for the need for heightened international efforts to combat terrorism and emphasised the need for the early adoption of the "Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism" in the United Nations, the statement said.

They also discussed the possibility of building capacity in the field of defence, particularly in areas such as the fight against terrorism and extremism, it said.

Before Guinea, President Kovind had visited the Republic of Guinea and Benin.