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4th
India-Africa Partnership
Conclave
Tap
Full Potential
of Two-Way Trade
- Pranab
India's External
Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee
has called for
exploring the
true potential
of the two-way
trade between
India and Africa,
though it had
risen five times
to touch US$25
billion in the
five years to
2006-07. In his
valedictory address
to the 4th India-Africa
Project Partnership
Conclave held
in New Delhi from
19 to 21 March
2008, he said
India is looking
at the possibility
of signing a Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA)
with the Common
Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa
(COMESA). The
Conclave was attended
by Ministers and
600 delegates
from more than
30 African countries,
their Ambassadors
and High Commissioners
in India, besides
a large number
of Indian businessmen.
The following
is the full text
of Mukherjee's
speech.
It gives me immense
pleasure to be
present here today
at the valedictory
session of the
4th India-Africa
Project Partnership
Conclave organized
by the Confederation
of Indian Industry.
Since the last
such conclave
held in Delhi
in October 2006,
there have been
six equally successful
regional conclaves,
held in Lusaka,
Addis Ababa and
Accra in 2006,
and in Kampala,
Maputo and Abidjan
in 2007. All of
them have played
an important role
in bringing together
our policy and
business communities
to greater mutual
benefit. This
is therefore an
initiative to
which we attach
great importance
and which enjoys
the fullest support
of my Ministry,
the Ministry of
Commerce &
Industry and the
Export Import
Bank of India.
I would like to
place on record
my deep appreciation
for the Confederation
of Indian Industry
(CII) whose officials
have been untiring
in their efforts
in organizing
this event and
the earlier nine
conclaves.
I am also particularly
delighted to have
the opportunity
of speaking at
this conclave
with Africa in
the run-up to
next month's India
Africa Forum Summit,
which India will
have the honour
of hosting. I
am confident that
the Summit will
give a renewed
thrust to the
centuries-old
partnership between
India and Africa.
We are grateful
to the Governments
of Africa for
their response
to this initiative
and I take this
opportunity to
thank them once
again for their
support.
Today, however,
I would like to
express my gratitude
to Their Excellencies
the Vice Presidents
of Tanzania and
Ghana for having
taken the time
to grace these
proceedings with
their presence
and to share their
wise counsel with
us. My special
thanks also go
out to Their Excellencies
the Ministers
from more than
thirty African
nations, who have
provided leadership
to over 600 delegates
from their countries.
Thank you for
traveling all
the way to be
with us. I understand
that these conclaves
have helped our
governments as
well as public
and private sectors
to better understand
and meet each
others' aspirations
and developmental
needs and priorities.
I trust all of
you have found
value in this
ongoing partnership
exercise to develop
the trade and
economic relationship
between India
and Africa.
India is fortunate
to enjoy long-standing
and warm links
of brotherhood
and affinity with
the African continent.
The waters of
the Indian Ocean
unite us. Indian
traders and seafarers
reached the shores
of Africa centuries
ago and made Africa
their home. Our
shared experience
of colonialism
and India's unstinting
support in the
African struggle
against apartheid
and colonialism
helped us establish
a close political
relationship.
Apart from our
common civilizational
heritage, we are
united by common
ideas, ideals
and icons. Indeed,
India and Africa
are natural allies
and we eagerly
look forward to
a comprehensive
engagement with
Africa, which
has always enjoyed
an important position
in our foreign
policy priorities.
Far-Reaching Changes
Today, Africa
is witnessing
far reaching changes.
In recognition
of this, India
and the countries
of Africa have,
for some time
now, been in the
process of providing
a contemporary
character to our
relationship.
The economic growth
paradigm in Africa
has altered with
real GDP estimated
to have grown
by almost 6.0
percent and a
large number of
countries growing
at an average
rate of 5.0 percent
over the years.
Several countries
have benefited
from debt write-offs
through the HIPC
initiative and
resultant improvements
in credit ratings.
Ideas of democracy
and good governance
are taking root.
There is recognition
that achievement
of stability and
peace are key
for socio-economic
development and
that partnership
amongst the Africans
themselves is
an imperative.
Nevertheless,
the international
community's supportive
role remains vital.
It is in this
context that there
is substantial
scope for cooperation
between Africa
and India in order
to help provide
a better quality
of life for the
people of both
nations. Both
sides are home
to a wealth of
biodiversity,
substantial natural
resources and
hard working populations.
What we need is
to identify areas
of our core competence
and match these
with the economic
and societal needs
of a particular
nation. Knowledge
sharing, knowledge
creation and knowledge
dissemination
must be a vital
component of our
cooperation.
I am gratified
to note that India's
trade with Africa
has been increasing
in recent years.
Two-way trade
has risen from
US$5.0 billion
in 2001-02 to
nearly US$25 billion
in 2006-07, a
five-fold growth
in as many years,
even though it
does not include
the import of
gold bullion.
Nevertheless,
I am sure that
all in this room
share my belief
that our trade
flows are still
to achieve their
true potential.
In order to do
so, India has
signed Trade Agreements
with 29 countries
in Africa. India
and the Common
Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa
(COMESA) have
also decided to
set up a Joint
Working Group
to study the possibilities
of signing a Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA).
Negotiations are
ongoing as well
for a Preferential
Trade Agreement
with the Southern
African Customs
Union.
Trade & Investment
Let me take this
opportunity to
make what I think
are four thematic
points as we explore
the way ahead
for a new India-Africa
partnership. First,
for India, trade
and investment
go hand in hand.
It is with this
in mind that Indian
companies are
making robust
investments in
Africa in sectors
ranging from horticulture
and agriculture
to power generation
and mining. I
take this opportunity
to urge our African
friends present
here to encourage
Indian industry
even more in their
efforts.
Infrastructure
Technologies
Second, as a continent,
Africa is generating
enormous demand
for appropriate
infrastructure
technologies,
products, engineering
services and capacity
building, especially
for setting up
manufacturing
capabilities for
local value addition
as well as for
generating employment.
India has made
strides in manufacturing
and technology
by pursuing a
model of development
that we believe
is appropriate,
affordable and
relevant in the
African context.
We have offered
the benefits of
our experience
to African countries
and are committed
to continue our
support in areas
of our strength,
including human
resource development
and capacity building
programmes. Africa
is today the largest
recipient of India's
ITEC programme.
We are extending
and diversifying
the programme
to cater to special
needs of individual
countries and
groups of nations.
Projects such
as the Pan African
e-Network are
an illustration
of our genuine
effort at sharing
our progress in
the knowledge
sector and helping
bridge the digital
divide in Africa.
Third, India has,
in recent years,
extended many
bilateral and
regional lines
of credit on concessional
terms to the countries
of Africa. These
have been used
mainly for developmental
projects chosen
by and in the
interest of the
recipient countries.
We are in a position
to do more in
this field and
our focus will
be on fostering
sustainable socio-economic
development in
our partner countries.
Regional Integration
The fourth and
last theme I want
to touch upon
is the fact that
Africa has found
merit in regional
integration and
is increasingly
seeking to consolidate
its regional economic
communities. India's
engagement with
African countries
has in the past
focused on bilateral
engagement. Of
late, however,
we have also taken
initiatives for
establishing relationships
with the regional
economic communities.
We have made progress
with COMESA, SADC,
ECOWAS and EAC
and hope to make
progress with
ECCAS, IGAD and
others. I see
this as a most
promising area
for our larger
cooperation.
India has always
had a vision and
a message for
the world. From
the very beginning
of our civilization,
we have believed
that humanity
is a single family.
We are committed
to establishing
ties of friendship
and co-operation
with all countries.
Our ties with
Africa are special
and we will continue
to work with Africa
and the international
community to create
a better world
- a world free
of terror, poverty,
disease, ignorance
and inequality.
In this context,
I would like to
highlight some
aspects of the
international
situation that
all of us are
called upon to
face.
Terrorism constitutes
a grave threat
to the civilized
world. India believes
that this is an
evil that can
only be combated
by exercising
zero tolerance
for all kinds
of terrorist violence
and by significantly
enhancing the
levels of international
cooperation in
this area. India
looks forward
to enhancing its
cooperation with
African countries
on this matter,
both bilaterally
and in various
multilateral fora.
The conclusion
of a Comprehensive
Convention on
International
Terrorism is important
in this regard.
The reform of
the United Nations
remains high on
our agenda and
we seek the support
of the African
countries for
overall reforms,
including democratization
and expansion
of the UN Security
Council in both
permanent and
non-permanent
categories. India
also attaches
great importance
to the Doha Round
of trade negotiations
currently underway
and we seek the
continued support
of African countries
to ensure that
the vision of
the Doha Round
as a developmental
round becomes
a reality.
Climate change
is another subject
which figures
increasingly in
our discussions.
Our commitment
to solutions based
on common but
differentiated
responsibility
and respective
capabilities remains
steadfast. We
seek a convergence
of per capita
GHG emissions
between the developed
and the developing
world. Transfer
of technologies
at affordable
prices is a key
factor in this
process.
India is committed
to work in partnership
with Africa. May
I, on behalf of
the Indian delegates
as well as my
own behalf, thank
you all for your
presence here
today and reassure
you of our continuing
commitment to
the further development
of India-Africa
relations. |
