India gifts fleet of six school buses to Sao Tome and Principe

NEW DELHI: India has gifted a fleet of six school buses to the government of Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. "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 said in a statement.

These buses were handed over to Isabel Maria Correia Viegas de Abreu, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Higher Education of the 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 Thursday, it said.

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Support for school education

Sao Tome and Principe is an island nation in central Africa. India's gift 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, the MEA said. "This assistance will reinforce the school transport fleet of Sao Tome and Principe, and provide safer commute for students and reduce education costs for families and facilitate their access to school education," the statement said.

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. "India and Sao Tome and Principe enjoy close and friendly relations and are diversifying their bilateral cooperation," it said.