New Delhi, Aug. 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday said Africa remains a top priority in India’s foreign policy, highlighting a decade of expanded engagement built on mutual growth, stronger diplomatic ties, and a shared vision for long-term development.
Speaking at Africa Day celebrations in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India and Africa have pursued similar paths of renewal, pointing to India’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” vision and Africa’s “Agenda 2063” as complementary roadmaps for the future.
“In contemporary times, our countries have charted parallel trajectories of resurgence and rejuvenation. This is reflected in our strategies for our future development. In India, that ambition is today expressed in ‘Viksit Bharat 2047,’ or Developed India. And for Africa, it is articulated through ‘Agenda 2063’ and respective national development visions,” he said.
Jaishankar described the African Union’s admission as a permanent member of the G20 during India’s presidency as a landmark achievement that reflected New Delhi’s enduring commitment to Africa and the broader Global South.
“The inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 during India’s presidency was a seminal step in the direction of India’s enduring commitment to the African continent and indeed to the Global South,” he said.
The minister said India’s engagement with Africa continues to be guided by the 10 principles outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to Uganda’s Parliament in 2018, known as the Kampala Principles, which place Africa among India’s highest foreign policy priorities.
Quoting the prime minister’s vision, Jaishankar said India would continue to deepen its engagement with Africa through sustained, demand-driven partnerships.
“Africa will be at the top of our priorities. We will continue to intensify and deepen our engagement with Africa. As we have shown, it will be sustained and regular,” he said.
He added that India’s development partnership would be shaped by African priorities, emphasizing local capacity-building, skills development, and long-term self-reliance.
“Our development partnership will be guided by your priorities. It will be on terms that will be comfortable for you, that will liberate your potential and not constrain your future. We will rely on African talent and skills. We will build as much local capacity and create as many local opportunities as possible,” he said.
Jaishankar also emphasized India’s commitment to expanding trade and investment with African nations.
“We will keep our markets open and make it easier and more attractive to trade with India. We will support our industry to invest in Africa,” he said.
Highlighting technology as another pillar of cooperation, he said India intends to share its experience with digital transformation to improve public services, education, health care, financial inclusion, and digital literacy across Africa.
“We will harness India’s experience with the digital revolution to support Africa’s development; improve delivery of public services; extend education and health; spread digital literacy; expand financial inclusion; and mainstream the marginalized. This will not just be our partnership to advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, but also to equip the youth of Africa for their place in the digital age,” he said.
Jaishankar also stressed cooperation in agriculture, noting that Africa possesses about 60% of the world’s arable land but produces only about 10% of global agricultural output.
“We will work with you to improve Africa’s agriculture. Our partnership will address the challenges of climate change. We will work with Africa to ensure a just international climate order, preserve biodiversity, and adopt clean and efficient energy sources,” he said.
On security, Jaishankar said India would continue working with African nations to combat terrorism and extremism, strengthen cybersecurity, support U.N. peacekeeping operations, and promote an open and inclusive maritime order based on the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.
“We will strengthen our cooperation and mutual capabilities in combating terrorism and extremism, keeping our cyberspace safe and secure, and supporting the U.N. in advancing and keeping peace. We will work with African nations to keep the oceans open and free for the benefit of all nations,” he said.
The minister cautioned against turning Africa into a theater of geopolitical competition and instead called for cooperation that supports the aspirations of the continent’s young population.
“As global engagement in Africa increases, we must all work together to ensure that Africa does not once again turn into a theater of rival ambitions, but becomes a nursery for the aspirations of Africa’s youth,” he said.
He also reiterated India’s support for reforming global institutions to provide Africa with greater representation.
“Just as India and Africa fought colonial rule together, we will work together for a just, representative, and democratic global order that has a voice and a role for one-third of humanity that lives in Africa and India. India’s own quest for reforms in global institutions is incomplete without an equal place for Africa,” he said.
Jaishankar noted that India and African nations have exchanged more than 150 high-level visits over the past decade. He said he has personally visited African countries more than 20 times as external affairs minister and expects to make additional visits in the coming months.
He also said India has expanded its diplomatic presence by opening 17 new missions in recent years, bringing the country’s resident diplomatic footprint to 46 African nations. (ANI)
About The Author
