Coal India allocated two blocks in Mozambique

New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) State-run Coal India Ltd has been allocated two coal blocks in the southeast African state of Mozambique, it was announced here Thursday.

The formal intimation on the acquisition was sent by the Indian high commission in that country to Coal India recently, a government statement said.

This is the first acquisition of overseas coal blocks on bilateral basis. 'This allocation has been secured in spite of stiff competition from international competitors,' the release said.

The company also got a confirmation from Mozambique's deputy director in the ministry of mineral resources that the government had granted concessions on two blocks A-1 and A-2 in Tete province.

In 2007, a delegation from the Indian coal ministry had visited Mozambique for the first meeting of the bilateral Coal Working Group, which led to further talks and visits.

The coal ministry had drawn up a cooperation programme for wooing the Mozambique government which included additional projects that would benefit the community, as well as creation of local infrastructure.

The announcement comes two weeks after Mozambique's Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi visited India.