Monrovia — A high-powered, multiparty delegation from India, comprising current and former government officials, is expected to arrive in Liberia at the end of May.
Liberia has been selected as one of the West African countries to host the delegation, which includes nine members--serving Members of Parliament, senior political figures, and former diplomats. The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Monrovia on the evening of May 31 and will depart on the morning of June 3.
During their visit, the delegation plans to meet with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai or Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate. These engagements aim to brief Liberian authorities on the Government of India's position regarding recent global developments, including the terror attacks in Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor, and related geopolitical matters.
According to information shared with FrontPage Africa, the Indian delegation will also hold discussions with members of the diplomatic corps, the Indian community in Liberia, local think tanks, media editors, and other stakeholders.
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Members of the Indian Delegation
Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, leader of Delegation, 37
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), representing Kalyan in Maharashtra under the Shiv Sena party. He is a medical doctor (MBBS, M.S. in Orthopedics) and the son of Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief
Minister. Elected in 2014, he won reelection in 2019 and 2024 and currently serves on the Parliamentary Committee on Energy.
Bansuri Swaraj, 41
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), representing New Delhi under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She is the daughter of the late Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and former Mizoram Governor Swaraj Kaushal. A barrister-at-law from Inner Temple, she holds degrees from the University of Warwick and Oxford University. She serves on the Committees on External Affairs and Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports.
E.T. Mohammed Basheer, 79
Veteran Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), representing Malappuram, Kerala, under the Indian Union Muslim League. Currently serving his fourth term, he has held several ministerial posts in the Kerala state government and is a member of the Standing Committees on Social Justice and Empowerment, and External Affairs.
Atul Garg
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), representing Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, under the BJP. A former minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, he serves on the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce and is known for promoting entrepreneurship and skill development through educational institutions in the state.
Dr. Sasmit Patra, 46
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), representing Odisha under the Biju Janata Dal. An academic, lawyer, and social worker, he chairs the Committee on ICT Management and is a member of the Committees on Communications and on Law and Justice. He also serves as the party's National Spokesperson and Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha. Dr. Patra holds a Ph.D. in Business Management, an MBA, an LLB, and a BA.
Manan Kumar Mishra, 69
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), representing Bihar for the BJP. A senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Mishra has served as Chairman of the Bar Council of India since 2012. He began his legal practice at the Patna High Court in 1982 and moved to the Supreme Court in 2009.
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S.S. Ahluwalia, 74
Former Member of Parliament, having represented Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. He served as Union Minister of State in several ministries, including Electronics and IT, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Agriculture, and Parliamentary Affairs between 2014 and 2019. He is affiliated with the BJP.
Ambassador Sujan Chinoy, 66
A seasoned diplomat, Chinoy served from 1981 to 2018, including as India's Ambassador to Japan and Mexico and as Consul General in Shanghai and Sydney. He was part of India's National Security Council Secretariat and currently heads the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). He also chaired the Think20 engagement group during India's G20 presidency.
