The first ever Indo-Africa summit concluded on Wednesday with new and strong bond of friendship and leaders of both India and Africa pledged to work with pace and commitment on the common agreed areas of cooperation. The summit laid the foundation for deepening India’s attachment with Africa, which is rich in resources.
India and Africa determined to forge new area of co-operation with India pledges to partner Africa in its resurgence and support in its social, trade, agriculture and overall economic revival.
In the concluding session of the two-day Indo-Africa summit the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “we have held extremely substantive and productive discussions on all issues which confront India and Africa and I offer Indian assistance in ushering in a Green Revolution in Africa through holistic capacity building in agricultural production, storage and transportation.”
He also discarded India’s competition with China in relation to Africa. India's renewed focus on Africa had not been directed by China's growing clout in the continent. UPA government after coming into power in 2004 has been working in improving relation and cooperation with the African countries, which has now been fruitful after three years in Indo-Africa summit here. “We are not in any race or competition with China or any other country. It is up to Africa to determine the path they wish to pursue and to the extent of what lies within our capacity, we will offer whatever help is required,” he added further.
Both India and leaders of African countries and regional economic groupings decided cooperation in the field of food security, high oil prices, and climate change as top concerns.
The ‘Delhi Declaration’ and the ‘Africa-India Framework for Cooperation’ adopted by the summit is a blueprint for a new vision for cooperation in the 21st century with a resurgent Africa. The framework is a vision for collaboration in a wide ranging areas beginning with basic agriculture, food security, technology and trade to energy, capacity-building and cooperation on issues like the UN reforms, climate change, terrorism and multilateral trade negotiations.
The first enthusiastic and commendable approach that India took on the first day of the summit was when it offered a duty free access to 34 African countries under a ‘Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme’ for Least Developed Countries.
Under this scheme India would provide ‘duty free access’ to goods of immediate interests such as cotton, cocoa, aluminium ores, copper ores, cashew nuts, cane sugar, ready-made garments, fish fillets and non-industrial diamonds from 50 least developed countries comprising 34 least developed African countries.
The most significant outcome of the summit came in the form of support of African leaders giving assurance for New Delhi’s bid for a seat on any expanded United Nations Security Council.
It is to be noted here that India's bid for permanent membership of the Security Council reached a setback in 2005 when it failed to win the support of the 53-member-strong African Union.
The Indian leaders assured African leaders that India would help in all areas to solve their development-related issues. The new tie-up would also develop India’s engagement with African nations for mutual advantage. Conversely, Africa’s development can be accelerated with investments and technology transfer. It has plenty of natural resources comprising crude oil and minerals and the closer relations with the African continents will be proved beneficial for both -India and Africa.
To review the progress and deciding future course of action and infuse energy to the development programme at regular time interval, leaders of both participants in the Delhi summit decided to hold summit every three years alternately in India and Africa. The two-day Delhi summit decided to hold next convention in 2011 in any of the African countries to be identified later.
|
|
Read More: Delhi
Comments:
