Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist January 2019 | Page 26

VIBRANT GUJARAT
SHAPING A NEW INDIA
I
ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th
edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2019 in Gandhinagar,
Gujarat. Over 36,000 delegates from over 100 countries,
four world leaders, several senior ministers, and industry
leaders attended the biennial three-day summit this year.
According to the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (GCCI), representatives of 39 international chambers
of commerce and 24 national chambers of commerce
participated in the conclave at the event. At the event, GCCI
signed MoUs with 13 international and six national chambers
for cooperation and joint initiatives for trade promotion.
“India is a land of immense opportunities. It is the only
place, which offers you Democracy, Demography and
Demand. To those who are already present in India, I would
like to assure you that our democratic system, human values
and a strong judicial system will ensure the safety and security
of your investments. We are continuously working to improve
the investment climate further and make ourselves more and
more competitive.
For those who are not yet present in India, I extend an
invitation and encourage you to explore the opportunities.
This is the best time to be here. We have set up dedicated
ways to help investors on a one to one basis,” said PM Modi
in his address.
In clear recognition of enhanced importance that India
and Gujarat attach to Africa, the fi rst ever “Africa Day” was
celebrated during the summit 2019 on 19th January 2019.
This was the fi rst time in the history of Vibrant Gujarat that
a day was dedicated to the entire Continent.
The key elements of the 'Africa Day' included a Plenary
Session which was inaugurated by Smt. Sushma Swaraj,
External Aff airs Minister in the presence of Chief Minister of
Gujarat, Shri Vijaybhai Rupani. Apart from External Aff airs
Minister and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Plenary Session was
addressed by the visiting Ministers of Morocco, Liberia,
Uganda, Rwanda, Republic of Congo and Namibia and
the captains of Africa and Indian industries. Besides huge
participation from 50 out of 54 African countries, a large
number of African students were also present in the Session.
“Africa has emerged as an important trade and investment
partner. India Africa bilateral trade stood at US $ 62.66 billion
for 2017-18 which refl ects an increase of nearly 22 percent
26 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 1 • January 2019, Noida