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2nd April, 2008
“SUPRABHATAM”
Dear Excellencies,
Dear Mr. Nalin Surie, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs,
Dear Mr. Ashok Kumar, Acting Director General, ICWA,
Dear Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director General, RIS,
Dear Professor Rajen Harshe, President, African Studies Association,
Members of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), and
African Studies Association of India (ASA), and
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I feel greatly privileged to be invited for this prestigious International Conference on “Africa-India Partnership in the 21st Century”. Therefore I would like to thank Indian Council of World Relations, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and African Studies Association of India (ASA), for organizing this prestigious International Conference on “Africa-India Partnership in the 21st Century”.
This particular topic being contemporary and due to its importance is a subject which will certainly be considered deeply, in the forthcoming India-Africa Partnership Summit, scheduled just a few days ahead.
I feel honoured to stand before you this morning, to place few of my remarks at this inaugural session. It is indeed one of the greatest honours of my time in India, to stand before you today.
I invite the kind support and co-operation of all of us to strengthen the genuine and strategic partnership in the 21st Century, to achieve the common objective and mutual benefits in the front of combating poverty and promoting peace, stability and sustainable development in Africa and India.
As I have said many times earlier also, India and Africa have several profound reasons for strategic, balanced and responsible partnership in this 21st Century, of which I would like to mention just a few of them:
1) In the words of Late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, “though separated by the Indian Ocean; Africa is in a sense our next door neighbour”.
2) The relationship between Africa and India dates back to thousands of years. Therefore India and Africa are not discovering each other now.
3) India and Africa are bound together by very long traditions of friendship and common historical struggle against the evils of colonialism, apartheid, racism and injustice of all sorts. This common historical background based on western colonialism and a successful achievement of independence is one of the great opportunities for strengthening the India-Africa genuine and strategic partnership in the 21st Century.
4) The other reason, for genuine and strategic partnership between India and Africa in this 21st Century is because India has become a significant player in the global economy. This rapid emergence of India in the global economy raises the demand for Africa’s natural resources, which fortunately are available in the African Continent; need to be industrialized for a better contribution in sustainable development of the continent.
Excellencies, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is in the above environment of profound reasons for genuine and strategic partnership in this 21st Century that India and Africa are keen to work together for better and greater representation in United Nations Organizations and other International Forums, so as to have their voice in international decision making.
In the aforementioned context, India and Africa should work together to narrow the gap in view to bring Africa and India’s position related to United Nations reforms particularly the expansion of the United Nations Security Council, much closer.
It is also in the above environment of strengthening the India-Africa Partnership in 21st Century that India has launched and successfully implemented number of initiatives to support various aspects of the continent’s peace, stability and development efforts. Such efforts have been visible in the following among other areas:
1) Human Resources Development and Capacity Building: Many Africans are being trained in Indian Universities and other short term courses being conducted under the ICCR and ITEC scholarship schemes respectively. ITEC has been training more than 1000 beneficiaries per annum from the Sub-Saharan Africa since 1964.
2) India has launched many Lines of Credit to Africa to help its process of development.
3) India has announced the e-connectivity programme which will benefit 53 countries of the African Union to boost development in tele-education and tele-medicine.
4) India has supported the Peace keeping process in many countries in Africa.
5) India has provided technical assistance under South-South Co-operation.
All of Africa acknowledges these important initiatives of India in context to the Indo-Africa partnership.
Excellencies, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although India and Africa share a robust relationship there are also the challenges to overcome to further strengthen the India-Africa Partnership in 21st Century so as to promote sustainable development in Africa.
Therefore, the strategic partnership between India and Africa in 21st Century should bring solutions for the various issues which are included in the African Programme namely NEPAD (The New Partnership for Africa’s Development). Some of these issues among others are as follows:
1) Raise the level of investments in human capital development in Africa;
2) Promote more capacity building, technology acquisitions as well as knowledge generation sharing and applications;
3) Acceleration of African Industrialization so as to add value to the huge African natural resources and get good, fair and competitive prices for the African goods;
4) Acceleration of development of infrastructure which will facilitate intra African trade and economic development in the continent;
5) Enhance economic co-operation, trade and improved market access for African products;
6) Sharing India’s experience on green revolution for boosting agricultural products so as to combat hunger and disease in Africa. Combating hunger and disease in Africa are the key areas of strategic partnership in 21st Century so as to meet the first of the Millennium Development Goals, set by world leaders at the United Nations Summit 2000, which aims to reduce the proportion of the hungry people by half by 2015. This first of the Millennium Development Goals is facing a tough challenge in Africa.
Excellencies, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
The challenges are enormous but possible to achieve, if we work together.
There are huge opportunities of investment in Africa. Determined to raise its share in the world trade the African countries are making significant changes in economic and social development. True transformation in the rural development: all inclusive health care, rapid growth in educational sector, rule of law; good governance as well as the democratic culture, are deepening their roots in African countries. We should try our level best to accelerate these economic and social developments through a strengthened India-Africa Partnership in this 21st Century.
Together we will succeed. As, together we were victorious yesterday against colonialism, apartheid, racism and injustice and today nothing will prevent India and Africa to succeed on strategic partnership in this 21st Century.
Let us interact and work together for a flourished, deep and everlasting partnership between Africa & India in this 21st Century, where African countries would provide opportunities for investment, trade and industrialization of their untapped natural resources and in turn India will share with Africa, its advanced technology and technical expertise, suitable for African countries.
Excellencies, and distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Kindly allow me to thank you all once again for giving me this opportunity to place my remarks, at this inaugural session of prestigious International Conference on “Africa-India Partnership in the 21st Century”.
I look forward for a bright future of a strong Indo-Africa Partnership in this 21st Century, and together we will make a difference.
Thank You and Shukriya for the valuable time you all have spared to attend this conference.
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