New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan's visit to South Sudan last week was a "landmark development" for providing an impetus to bilateral relations, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.

The visit from October 20-22 was the first ministerial visit from the Indian side to South Sudan in more than five years.

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During the visit, Muraleedharan had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mayiik Ayii Deng.

Both sides reviewed all aspects of the existing relations and expressed willingness to expand the cooperation in various sectors, including agriculture, livestock, education, healthcare and IT, the MEA said in a statement.

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South Sudan was invited to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), it said.

The visit also included a call on Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, the First Vice President of South Sudan.

During that meeting, Muraleedharan emphasised on the untapped potential for growth of bilateral trade and Indian investment between the two countries and drew his attention to the constraints being faced by the Indian entrepreneurs in South Sudan.

Machar assured an investor-friendly atmosphere for Indian investors in South Sudan.

In a call on with Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan, India's support for the ongoing peace process envisaged in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) was reiterated, the MEA said.

President Salva Kiir sought India's cooperation in the health sector and, in consideration of long pending demands of the Indian community living in South Sudan, announced his approval for allocation of land for Hindu cremation ground and a temple in Juba.

The minister's visit to South Sudan is a "landmark development" for providing an impetus to bilateral relations, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)