New Delhi, April 11 : India on Friday announced that it has gifted a fleet of six school buses to the government of Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe as a part of its development assistance to the Global South.

The buses were handed over to Isabel Maria Correia Viegas de Abreu, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Higher Education of Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe by Deepak Miglani, Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe in a ceremony held in Sao Tome on April 10, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Friday.

"India's gift, the MEA stated, is in response to the request received from the Government of Sao Tome and Principe, seeking India's assistance in making school education more accessible.

"This assistance will reinforce the school transport fleet of Sao Tome and Principe, and provide safer commutes for students and reduce education costs for families and facilitate their access to school education. Earlier, in January 2025, the Government of India sent a consignment of medical supplies, comprising essential and life-saving medicines to buttress the healthcare sector of Sao Tome and Principe," the MEA detailed.

"India and Sao Tome and Principe enjoy close and friendly relations and are diversifying their bilateral cooperation. The gift of school buses to the friendly people of Sao Tome and Principe is part of India's development assistance to the Global South," it added.

It was in August 2024 that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Sao Tome and Principe for the supply of six school buses to the central African country as a gift from the government of India.

In a similar such assistance, India gifted 150 computers to Sao Tome and Principe in November 2019 for information technology upgradation of the Ministries and secondary schools of Sao Tome and Principe.

Sao Tome and Principe signed the Framework Agreement on International Solar Alliance in February 2018 and has also ratified the same. It also supported India's candidature for the post of Director General of International Solar Alliance (ISA) for the period 2025-2029.

The Government of India also provided humanitarian medical assistance to Sao Tome and Principe on five occasions, including 24,000 doses of Covax vaccines in March 2021 as part of the Vaccine Maitri initiative and a donation of medicines in June 2021 on the request of the Sao Tome and Principe side.

Additionally, anti-TB medicines were provided in May 2023 as part of the Government of India's initiative. India also donated lifesaving drugs and generic medicines in June 2023, and humanitarian medical assistance of life-saving medicines for the main hospital in the country in January 2025 at the request of the Sao Tome and Principe side.

In 2015, Sao Tome and Principe's former Prime Minister Patrice Emery Trovoada visited India to participate in the Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) and held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leaders held discussions on bilateral cooperation, especially cooperation for developing the infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare sectors of Sao Tome and Principe.

/IANS