President Pranab Mukherjee. (File Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday extended his greetings to the Dutch people on their King's Day, to the people of Sierra Leone and Togo on their National Day and South Africans on their Freedom Day.
In his message to King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, Mukherjee said: "On behalf of the government and people of India, I would like to extend warm greetings and felicitations to you, the government and the people of the Netherlands on the occasion of 'King's Day'."
He said that India and the Netherlands enjoy warm and friendly bilateral relations evolved over the last 400 years which are anchored in a rich and multifaceted partnership.
Marking the day of the current monarch, King's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, celebrated on April 27 (April 26 if the 27th is a Sunday).
In a message to his Sierra Leonean counterpart Ernest Bai Koroma, Mukherjee said: "Your participation in the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi in October 2015 provided a valuable opportunity for both sides to discuss ways to further strengthen our multifaceted engagements.
The West African country's National Day marks its independence from Britain on April 27, 1961.
In a message to his Togolese conterpart, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, Mukherjee said: "India and Togo enjoy warm and friendly relations. I am confident that our bilateral engagement will further strengthen in the years ahead to the mutual benefit of our two peoples.
The West African nation obtained its independence from France on this day in 1960.
Extending his greetings to the people of South Africa, Mukherjee said that India and South Africa share a longstanding friendship that is rooted in history and their shared values, and their cooperation has evolved into a strategic partnership-nurtured by multifaceted and vibrant engagement covering diverse sectors of the nations' mutual interest.
"Your participation in the Third India Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi in October, 2015 contributed substantially to the efforts of this forum and will serve to reinforce the ties between India and Africa in the coming year," Mukherjee said in his message to his counterpart Jacob Zuma.
South Africa celebrates Freedom Day on April 27 to mark the liberation of the country and its people from colonialism and apartheid.
