New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS): South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit arrives in India later this month as India actively boosts its ties with the landlocked country in central Africa that became independent in July 2011.

This was announced by external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin here.

Ahead of the visit, India's special envoy to South Sudan P.S. Raghavan met President Kiir in Juba on Aug 9 to invite him and prepare for the visit.

The visit of Raghavan, a special secretary in the external affairs ministry, is "reflective of our commitment in partnering South Sudan, which got independence in 2011", said the spokesperson.

India has two battalions of 200 personnel deployed in the African country as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said the spokesperson.

The visit of Raghavan, who heads the ministry's Development Partnership Administration, was "helpful in identifying developmental projects in South Sudan".

"The areas of focus, with two main components of capacity building and infrastructure development, in sectors like health, education, solar electrification, mining, agriculture, electoral management and hydrocarbons," said Akbaruddin.

He said India looks forward to the early visit of the South Sudan president to India and Raghavan's visit was preparatory to that.