The Hindu Business Line : We wish to be partners in Africa’s resurgence: PM

New Delhi, April 9 The first-ever India Africa Forum Summit ended here on Friday with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, declaring that “the Summit has enabled us to convey to the people of Africa, India’s readiness to be a partner in their quest for stability, peace and prosperity”.

Later addressing a joint press conference with African leaders from 14 countries who took part in the deliberations over the last two days, Dr Singh categorically stated that India was not “in race or competition” with China or any other country in partnering with Africa. “India stands committed to work with Africa to strengthen our cooperation in every possible way. We wish to be partners in Africa’s resurgence”, Dr Singh added.

In his opening remarks at the press conference, Dr Singh said the Summit has adopted the Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Cooperation which would be the bedrock for “our cooperation in the 21st century”. He further said India’s keenness to work with Africa was not “a new experience but the ties between them dated back to colonial past.”

Stating that “our decision to expand unilateral duty-free and preferential market access for exports from all the 54 LDCs, 34 of which are in Africa and our offer of lines of credit amounting to $5.4 billion” were steps in deepening and widening cooperation, Dr Singh said the duty-free market access to Africa would have immediate impact on certain goods.

On the issue of food security, Dr Singh noted that continuation of momentum of high growth in both sides called for greater investment and modernisation of agricultural sector.

The Chairman of the 53-nation African Union (AU), Mr Alpha Oumar Konare, hoped that “concrete action” would follow on the initiatives agreed at the Summit.

Earlier, the Summit has adopted the Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Cooperation and resolved to “develop jointly, with a period of one year, a joint plan of action at a continental level and an appropriate follow-up mechanism to implement our Framework for Cooperation”.

The Framework for Cooperation, exemplifying close, cooperative and multi-sectoral partnership, encompasses political, security-related, economic, science and technology, human resource development, social, cultural and other areas of mutual interest”.

On climate change, the Delhi Declaration emphasised the need for adaptation to ensure sustainable development should be adequately financed through additional resources and not from funds meant for development. On the lack of demonstrable progress by developed world on green house gas reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, it said, “We take note of the proposal of the Prime Minister of India on convergence of per capita emissions of developing and developed countries”. On WTO talks, the declaration said that “we are convinced that the process to be adopted to reach convergence in the WTO negotiations requires focus on content and not artificial timelines. The promise of a development round must be fully realised”.

Both the sides agreed to cooperate in a slew of areas covering health, water sanitation, climate, poverty alleviation, infrastructure development and energy, besides sharing experiences in governance and local administration. They also resolved to take adequate efforts to promote trade and industry, foreign direct investment, development of small and medium scale enterprises and in Africa’ regional integration.

It was also agreed that India and Africa must meet every three years and accordingly the next Africa-India Summit would be held in Africa in 2011.

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