Diplomatist Magazine Africa Day Special 2018 | Page 15

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
dovetailed to Africa's developmental vision
as outlined in Agenda 2063, a document
adopted by AU members at its summit that
year. The Delhi Declaration issued at the
IAFS-III accepted this linkage. A reading of
the country statements made at the Summit
and bilateral talks held by the Prime Minister
and the External Affairs Minister with the
African leaders in Delhi revealed Africa's
desire to move up the global value chain at
a time when India's role in the global trade
and investment chain is growing. While
acknowledging India's substantial role in
assisting Africa's developmental process,
particularly through ITEC and other training
and educational programmes, and Lines of
Credit (LOC) for specifi c projects in Africa,
African leaders advised India to close the
gap between promises made and results
achieved. This aspect has been substantially
addressed by India in the strategic framework
document issued at the end of the Summit.
Africa’s expectation from India in the fi eld
of public health is beyond just supply of
affordable medicine, to cover assistance in
the development of the continent’s public
health services capacities. African leaders
gathered in India in late October 2015; among
other issues, they were also there to gauge
New Delhi’s seriousness in its relations with
Africa. That the engagement is continuing
robustly as outlined at the beginning of this
article, for the third year since IAFS-III,
indicates that India’s ties with Africa are now
treated with the seriousness they deserve in
both continents.
The Third India-Africa Forum Summit
was PM Modi’s fi rst exclusive platform to
meet and engage with a broad spectrum of
African leaders. The Indian Government’s
engagement with Africa has since been
consolidated and strengthened. For long,
India’s relations with Africa have hinged on
the common struggle against colonialism,
apartheid, poverty, disease, illiteracy, and
hunger. Policy, strategy, and implementation
have since changed.
Africa is no more the destination where
visitors, high and low, avoid travel, as in the
past. Africa is no more the destination where
only high-risk takers like the Indian business
community of Hong Kong, would fulfi ll import
demands and pray that payments will come
through and on time, in the absence of any
export payment instruments and guarantees
by fi nancial institutions. Today, Africa is the
cynosure of the world. India has to compete
for Africa’s attention, taking on the likes of
China, Western Europe, USA, Japan, South
Korea and other emerging economies like
Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, etc. Thus far, we
have done well to sustain our economic, trade,
investment and development partnership with
Africa. However, man does not survive on
bread alone. Respect for each other, especially
our cultural and civilisational differences, is
as important. Unfortunately, the occasional
ugly and macabre reports of the treatment
of African nationals on Indian soil have not
helped in keeping our ties with Africa free of
controversies and blemishes. Governments
at all levels, law and order maintenance
agencies, our educational institutions and
civil society, all need to work in tandem to
minimise this lack of understanding among
sections of our population about our African
sisters and brothers. In keeping with our
optimistic outlook that this is an area of
weakness that India will overcome, we can
comfortably predict that the glory of India-
Africa relations will be celebrated for a long
time to come. 
India has to
compete for
Africa’s attention,
taking on the likes
of China, Western
Europe, USA, Japan,
South Korea and
other emerging
economies like
Brazil, Mexico,
Malaysia, etc.
2018 • Africa Day Special • 11