New Delhi: Describing India-Africa ties as “deep-rooted”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said Africa will be at the “top of our priorities”, and New Delhi looks forward to a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’.
In his address at an event held here to celebrate Africa Day, he also said India has expanded its diplomatic footprint in Africa with the total number of Indian missions in that continent now standing at 45.
The Union minister shared some data and information related to India-Africa ties in multiple sectors, from education to infrastructure, and said for all these reasons and more, “India and Africa must engage and must work together very closely”.
He recalled the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 when he said — ‘India’s priority is not just Africa; India’s priority is Africans — every man, woman and child in Africa. Our partnership with Africa is beyond strategic concerns and economic benefits. It is based on the emotional bonds we share and the solidarity we feel’.
“I assure you that Africa will be at the top of our priorities. We look forward to a mutually beneficial and mutually respectful relationship in the true spirit of being a Vishwa Bandhu,” Jaishankar said.
Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963.
“Africa, we all know, is today undergoing very rapid changes. These span from being the cradle of human civilisation to becoming the land of the future,” Jaishankar said.
It is a continent with the youngest demographies, one with vast natural resources, expanding capabilities, growing markets and most of all “rising ambitions”, the external affairs minister said.
“India, the most populous country in the world and currently the fifth largest economy looks at Africa as a natural partner. Anchored in trust and mutual respect, it is focussed now on value addition within Africa, with production, research, localisation and local employment,” he asserted.
The minister said the India-Africa relations are “deep-rooted and go back in history”.
“As we gather to mark the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, I express our historical solidarity, underline our shared interests and reiterate our common aspirations,” he added.
In his address, he also emphasised the people-to-people ties between India and Africa.
“People-to-people relations are an important dimension of our relations with Africa, and we have extended e-visa facilities to 33 African countries. We have also expanded our diplomatic footprint in Africa with the opening of 16 new diplomatic missions, taking the total number of Indian missions in the continent to 45,” the minister said.
Jaishankar also underlined that Prime Minister Modi has “redefined our engagement” in Africa by outlining its “ten guiding principles”.
“These include our commitment to liberate Africa’s potential by building local capacity and creating local opportunities, keeping our markets open, sharing India’s experience with the digital revolution to support Africa’s development, improving the delivery of public services, extending education, spreading digital literacy in Africa, improving Africa’s agriculture, addressing the challenges of climate change and working with African nations to keep the oceans open and free for the benefit of all nations, among others,” he said.
The external affairs minister said, “We are proud of our long-standing educational ties with Africa” and added that several African leaders have studied in educational or training institutions in India.
It is also a matter of pride for India that over 23,000 African students live and study in India, he said.
“We have also established Indian educational institutions in Africa, the India Institute of Technology in Zanzibar, Tanzania; the National Forensic Science University in Uganda, the Entrepreneurship Development Centres in Rwanda, the various centres of information technology in several countries…,” he added.
In keeping with our spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbukam that the world is a family, India has also been at the forefront of providing capacity building and training African candidates under the India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, the minister said, adding, almost 40,000 Africans have been trained in India under ITEC in the last 10 years.
India has also launched the second phase of tele-education and telemedicine projects.
Since 2019, more than 15,000 youths from 22 African countries have been provided scholarships, for various degrees and diploma courses in disciplines like computer application, business administration, commerce, social sciences and humanity, the minister said.
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