addis ababa: Foreign Minister of India S. Jaishankar Has described the historic partnership between India and the countries of the African continent as based on the spirit of shared solidarity, equal opportunities and self-reliance. He said that the development priorities of both India and Africa are linked to industrialization, economic progress and the aspiration to determine their own future. capital of ethiopia addis ababa Addressing a grand event organized at the Adwa Memorial Museum, Jaishankar discussed in detail the key areas of cooperation between the two sides. He laid special emphasis on the fact that developing countries should get full opportunities for industrialization and steps like excessive influx of cheap goods or limiting access to international markets should not hinder their development journey.
Trade relations between India and Africa strengthened in various sectors
Referring to the rapidly growing trade and investment relations between India and African countries, the External Affairs Minister said that both sides are working together in many important strategic areas. These include manufacturing, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, financial services and information technology.
He clarified that India and Africa’s shared vision of self-reliance is the strongest foundation of this long-term partnership. It is extremely important for both sides to strengthen their domestic capabilities along with economic development and decide their own development direction.
India supports more than 220 development projects in Africa
The External Affairs Minister said that India’s development partnership with African countries is always taken forward keeping in mind the actual needs and priorities of the respective countries.
According to Jaishankar, India has supported more than 220 mega projects in basic sectors such as power generation, power transmission, water management, agriculture, railways, health services, manufacturing and public infrastructure. The main objective of these initiatives is to meet the development needs of African countries and support the strengthening of local capacities. Along with projects, skill development and human resource creation have also been given top priority in India’s development partnership.
More than 70 thousand African students and professionals got support from India
Referring to India’s capacity building initiatives, Jaishankar said that over 70,000 African students and professional youth have received scholarships and assistance from India in the last decade.
These efforts related to education, training and skill development play an important role in broadening India-Africa relations. This is continuously creating new opportunities for sharing knowledge, practical experience and technical expertise between the two sides.
Cooperation will increase on digital technology, ‘India Stack’ and AI
Underscoring the growing role of modern technology in the future cooperation between India and Africa, the External Affairs Minister mentioned initiatives related to digital governance and the ‘India Stack’.
He said that digital governance has unprecedented potential to bring about systemic change and the opportunities for collaboration with African countries on India Stack are continuously increasing. Additionally, they identified space technology, drones and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as new and important areas of future cooperation. Collaboration in the field of digital technology will help in expanding access to public services, improving administrative processes and unlocking new possibilities for economic development.
India also plays a leading role in the field of health security and global welfare.
The External Affairs Minister also highlighted in detail India’s efforts to strengthen Africa’s health security. He made special mention of vaccine assistance during and after the global pandemic, direct investment in the pharmaceutical industry and the gift of advanced ‘Bhabhatron’ machines used in cancer treatment. Cooperation in the health sector is a very sensitive and important part of the India-Africa partnership, under which both sides are expanding their engagement through initiatives related to medicines, medical technology and health services.
Strategic partnership with Ethiopia in the field of AI and science
Jaishankar said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ that India and Ethiopia The thinking completely matches the global vision of ‘AI for All’. He also mentioned the possibilities of pursuing development and inclusive prosperity with the help of this technology.
Our Ethiopia During the tour he addis ababa Also visited ‘Ethiopia Science Museum’. He described it as a powerful symbol of the country’s efforts towards building a technology-based and knowledge-centric economy. According to Jaishankar, cooperation in the field of science and innovation will play a very important role in the India-Ethiopia strategic partnership in the times to come.
Jaishankar reached Addis Ababa in the last leg of his visit to three African countries
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar from cote d’ivoire Ethiopia Which was the last leg of his official visit to three African countries. In this multi-stage tour ghana Was also included. During the entire visit, topics like trade, investment, industrialization, technology, health, education and capacity building remained the main points of discussion in India-Africa relations.
The scope of cooperation between India and African countries has expanded beyond traditional trade relations to modern areas such as digital technology, science and innovation. Jaishankar’s address made it clear that shared development, self-reliance and respect for each other’s priorities will remain the main pillars of this historic partnership in the future.
