India-South Africa India-South Africa 2019 | Page 9

dialogue involving governments and other
stakeholders on various connectivity
initiatives originating in Asia. These include
Belt and Road Initiative, Asia-Africa Growth
Corridor, and Free and Open Indo-Pacifi c.
The relations between the two nations need
to be nurtured with care and sensitivity if
they have to be kept on the path of consistent
growth and expansion.
About two-thirds of the peoples in
Africa and India are below 35 years of age,
so drawing inspiration from the Red Fort
Declaration of March 1997, some of the more
pressing questions are-
a) How do both countries review progress
and address key issues pertaining to their
bilateral, regional and global agendas, in
order to defi ne their “strategic partnership”?
b) Giving high priority to the promotion
of trade, investment, economic, technological
and development cooperation, how do we
address these key intervention areas:
i) Skills development and how obstacles
to expansion of cooperation in this domain
can be identifi ed and removed.
ii) Given the considerable progress of
South Africa in the Blue Economy, how
will a focused bilateral dialogue involving
other stakeholders (including national
industry chambers) help in crafting a plan
to forge close collaboration in developing
sustainable fisheries, managing marine
resources, exploring renewable energy,
promoting tourism, and expanding maritime
connectivity?
iii) How to connect both South African and
Indian think tanks as contacts are sporadic,
perhaps driven by subjective factors. How do
we engage a holistic, structured and sustained
interaction among scholars in order to assist
policymakers? Can an initiative be formed
in this regard, expanding the footprints
of scholarly interactions beyond national
capitals? Also, can the agenda include G-20
issues and the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor,
besides regional and bilateral issues?
iv) Also, how would both countries create
new measures that make both India and South
Africa’s public diplomacy more eff ective and
result oriented. 
* The author is Special Envoy and Group
Executive Chairman, GBSH Consult Group
Worldwide.
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