ID :
20793
Tue, 09/23/2008 - 18:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/20793
The shortlink copeid
India to work closely with Africa towards developmental goals
United Nations, Sept 23 (PTI) India has renewed its
commitment to work closely with Africa to meet the diverse
challenges faced by the continent and to enable it to achieve
its development targets.
Addressing the high level meeting on Africa's development
here yesterday, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand
Sharma stressed on the close economic ties that India enjoys
with African nations.
India, he said, has a long-standing, close and
multi-layered relationship with Africa based on "our abiding
commitment" to work with the continent to fulfill its
aspirations.
The partnership, he stressed, encompasses priority sectors
integral to the developmental goals of Africa in the 21st
century. "A vibrant India and a resurgent Africa are
witnessing an intensification of relations and growing
convergence of interests in their common quest for sustainable
economic growth and development," he added.
Sharma said India has always been committed to elevate its
special engagement with Africa into an enduring partnership by
developing an institutional mechanism for India-Africa
dialogue.
In this context, he said, the first-ever India Africa
Partnership Forum Summit held in New Delhi in April was
convened in partnership with the African Union.
The Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for
Cooperation adopted at the Summit, he said, "highlight our
shared political vision and world view and provide a solid
foundation for a systematic and stepped-up engagement in the
years to come."
India, Sharma said, has made a unilateral announcement of
duty free and quota free market access to goods from 34 least
developed countries in Africa. "This will spur economic
activity in manufacturing … by allowing them enhanced market
access to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world."
Besides, at the India Africa Partnership Forum Summit,
India and Africa also decided to work together on pressing
global issues of shared interests and concerns, including
W.T.O. issues, terrorism, eradication of hunger and poverty
and promotion of democracy, he added.
The pan-African e-network project, Sharma said, is a
shining example of India-Africa partnership. India has gifted
a dedicated satellite for e-connectivity in sub Saharan Africa
to help bridge the digital divide.
This project, fully financed by the Government of India,
was launched from Addis Ababa with a satellite hub in Dakar.
It is links major universities in Africa with major Indian
universities and major hospitals in Africa with
super-speciality hospitals in India. Thirty countries have
already joined this Project to provide quality tele-education
and tele-medicine.
India's Focus Africa policy, launched in 2002, targeted
seven countries and has yielded visible results, he added.
"Our bilateral trade with Africa has grown manifold and
reached a level of USD 31 billion in 2006-07 up from USD 3
billion in 2000-01 and is expected to reach a level of USD 35
billion in the current year," he added.
commitment to work closely with Africa to meet the diverse
challenges faced by the continent and to enable it to achieve
its development targets.
Addressing the high level meeting on Africa's development
here yesterday, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand
Sharma stressed on the close economic ties that India enjoys
with African nations.
India, he said, has a long-standing, close and
multi-layered relationship with Africa based on "our abiding
commitment" to work with the continent to fulfill its
aspirations.
The partnership, he stressed, encompasses priority sectors
integral to the developmental goals of Africa in the 21st
century. "A vibrant India and a resurgent Africa are
witnessing an intensification of relations and growing
convergence of interests in their common quest for sustainable
economic growth and development," he added.
Sharma said India has always been committed to elevate its
special engagement with Africa into an enduring partnership by
developing an institutional mechanism for India-Africa
dialogue.
In this context, he said, the first-ever India Africa
Partnership Forum Summit held in New Delhi in April was
convened in partnership with the African Union.
The Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for
Cooperation adopted at the Summit, he said, "highlight our
shared political vision and world view and provide a solid
foundation for a systematic and stepped-up engagement in the
years to come."
India, Sharma said, has made a unilateral announcement of
duty free and quota free market access to goods from 34 least
developed countries in Africa. "This will spur economic
activity in manufacturing … by allowing them enhanced market
access to one of the fastest-growing economies in the world."
Besides, at the India Africa Partnership Forum Summit,
India and Africa also decided to work together on pressing
global issues of shared interests and concerns, including
W.T.O. issues, terrorism, eradication of hunger and poverty
and promotion of democracy, he added.
The pan-African e-network project, Sharma said, is a
shining example of India-Africa partnership. India has gifted
a dedicated satellite for e-connectivity in sub Saharan Africa
to help bridge the digital divide.
This project, fully financed by the Government of India,
was launched from Addis Ababa with a satellite hub in Dakar.
It is links major universities in Africa with major Indian
universities and major hospitals in Africa with
super-speciality hospitals in India. Thirty countries have
already joined this Project to provide quality tele-education
and tele-medicine.
India's Focus Africa policy, launched in 2002, targeted
seven countries and has yielded visible results, he added.
"Our bilateral trade with Africa has grown manifold and
reached a level of USD 31 billion in 2006-07 up from USD 3
billion in 2000-01 and is expected to reach a level of USD 35
billion in the current year," he added.
