NEW DELHI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that India will provide $250 million in a financial credit line to Kenya for modernization of its agriculture sector.

Modi held talks with Kenyan President William Ruto, who is visiting India.

Noting that Africa has always been given a "high priority position" in India's foreign policy, Modi said: "Over the last decade India have increased our cooperation with Africa in mission mode."

“Close cooperation” between Kenya and India will "strengthen all our efforts in the Indo-Pacific," he said.

Ruto said he had "extensive conversations and engagements" with Modi on all issues that are of "mutual significance and importance between the two countries."

He noted defense forces of the two countries will work in “collaboration, sharing information sharing experience, sharing knowledge and intelligence.”

“I have explained to Prime Minister Modi about our situation in East Africa, the challenges we have of security in Sudan, in DRC Congo in Somalia and we are going to work together to see how we can stabilize and secure that region for the mutual benefit of the people living in the Global South,” he said.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said the two leaders took stock of bilateral cooperation, including in trade and investment, development partnership, defense, security culture and people-to-people contacts.

The sides also signed several memoranda of understanding.