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Remarks of EAM to African Journalists
March 29, 2011
Dear friends from Africa,
At the outset, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you to India and the Ministry of External Affairs. You represent ten of our closest friends in Africa and we are delighted to have you in India, at this historical phase in our relationship with your countries and continent.
I am happy that your visit to India takes place at the time of the 7th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership. I was privileged to host and interact with Hon’ble Prime Ministers of Mozambique and Togo and Ministers from about twenty African nations the day before yesterday. I am sure that the Conclave will prove to be of value for you all in learning more about India-Africa partnership.
Africa figures prominently on the foreign policy radar of India. I am happy to note that our relations have blossomed into a multi-faceted association where each one of us contributes significantly.
Our ties with Africa go back centuries and have been nourished by close people-to-people engagement. We have been partners in struggle against colonialism. In the 21st century, we have moved to a new paradigm- one in which we seek to cooperate with each other to build a better life for our peoples. This partnership is anchored in fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit and has derived impetus from the resurgence of Africa and India’s sustained economic growth. India’s partnership with Africa has been consultative and responsive. We have created a three-tier engagement with Africa: at pan-African, regional and bilateral levels. We have been guided by the wishes and priorities of our African friends in working together in institutional capacity building, human resource development, science and technological cooperation, enhancing agricultural productivity and food security, development of infrastructure, and in other areas.
At the First India Africa Forum Summit, held in April 2008, a series of new initiatives were announced. These include the establishment of four Pan-African institutions: India Africa Institutes on Foreign Trade, Diamond, Educational Planning and Administration, and Information Technology. Besides, ten vocational training centres, 5 human settlement institutes and 2 coal institutions are being set up under our partnership with Africa. The lead in each and every case, on deciding the location of the institution, was taken by the African Union, in consultation with beneficiary countries.
The number of long-term scholarships for African students in undergraduate, post-graduate and higher learning courses has been doubled.
You all would be familiar with the Pan-African e-network project for 53 countries in Africa. It has been implemented so far in 43 of the 47 countries with which agreements have been concluded, and is proving effective in making available tele-medicine and tele-education facilities.
It was decided to double the amount of Lines of Credit to $ 5.4 billion over five years, to give an impetus to infrastructure development including railways, IT, power generation, physical connectivity, crop diversification and capacity building in agriculture.
The second India-Africa Forum Summit is to take place in May this year. This time, as desired by our African partners, the Summit is being held in Africa at the seat the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. The agreed theme for the Summit – Enhanced Partnership-Shared Vision – manifests our common desire to further invigorate India-Africa partnership. The preparations for the Summit are in an advanced stage. I am highly optimistic about the outcome of this Summit towards fulfilling our shared objectives.
I too plan to build on my very successful visit to Seychelles, Mauritius and Mozambique last year and visit a few more countries in your beautiful continent.
There are other heartening dimensions of India-Africa relationship. In recent years, there has been a surge in Indian investment in Africa, and growth in our trade. We welcome increase in African exports to India. The Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme announced by India for the Least Developed Countries should contribute towards this objective and out of 33 LDCs in Africa 19 have already acceded to this scheme. Indian investment in Africa would also, we expect, play a role in this regard.
In our multilateral engagements as well, India, as a developing nation, is keenly conscious of the need to address a myriad of developmental and other challenges, including those facing our African brethren. Last month we hosted a Ministerial Conference of 48 Least Developed Countries. On a number of challenges confronting us, including those pertaining to trade, environment, global economic situation and reforms and restructuring the global institutions, India and Africa have common objectives, and that is, to ensure that the voice and aspirations of the developing world are given due attention.
Media, in both, countries play, and have to play, a pivotal role in creating better awareness of the openings and possibilities. That is why we are facilitating the visit of three groups of Indian journalists to Africa over the next six weeks. We are similarly pleased to welcome you to India. We would also like to provide more training slots for African media in some of the leading institutions in India.
I understand that during your week-long stay in India, you have visited Agra and will visit Mumbai, apart from having several engagements in New Delhi. Your programme would take you through a number of aspects and possibilities in our relations – from infrastructure to capacity building, from health to information technology, from finance to culture, telecommunication to environment – to name a few. These interactions, I hope, will give you not only a glimpse of the potential, prospects and possibilities for an abiding India-Africa partnership, but also of the special warmth India and her people have for their brothers and sisters from Africa.
I wish you a pleasant and fruitful stay in India and would be happy to hear your comments and take your questions. Thank you.
New Delhi
March 29, 2011
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