PM Modi inaugurates African Development Bank Annual Meeting in Gujarat's Gandhinagar

In his inaugural address at the 52nd African Development Bank Annual Meeting, Prime Minister Modi said, "Africa-India trade has multiplied in the last fifteen years. It has doubled in the last five years to reach nearly seventy-two billion US dollars in 2014-15. India’s commodity trade with Africa in 2015-16 was higher than our commodity trade with the United States of America."

"India joined the African Development Fund in 1982 and the African Development Bank in 1983. India has contributed to all of the Bank’s General Capital Increases. For the most recent African Development Fund replenishment, India pledged twenty nine million dollars. We have contributed to the Highly Indebted Poor Countries and Multilateral Debt Reduction Initiatives," the PM highlighted.

Talking about Afro-Indian ties, especially the role of Gujarat, Modi said, "The Gujarati flair for business is well known. Gujaratis are also famous for their love of Africa! As an Indian and a Gujarati, I am very happy that this meeting is being held in India and that too in Gujarat.

India has had strong ties with Africa for centuries. Historically, communities from western India, especially Gujarat, and the eastern coast of Africa have settled in each other's lands. The Siddhis of India are said to have come from East Africa. The Bohra communities in coastal Kenya date back to the twelfth century. Vasco da Gama is said to have reached Calicut with the help of a Gujarati sailor from Malindi. The dhows of Gujarat took merchandise in both directions. Ancient links between societies have also enriched our cultures. The rich Swahili language includes many Hindi words."

He also reminded the august gathering how Mahatma Gandhi, another Gujarati, perfected his tools of non-violent struggle in South Africa.

The PM said, "After assuming office in 2014, I have made Africa a top priority for India’s foreign and economic policy. The year 2015 was a watershed. The third India Africa Summit held that year was attended by all fifty-four African countries having diplomatic relations with India. A record forty-one African countries participated at the level of Heads of State or Government.

Since 2015, I have visited six African Countries, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius and Seychelles. Our President has visited three countries, Namibia, Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Vice-President visited seven countries, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Mali, Algeria, Rwanda and Uganda. I am proud to say that there is no country in Africa that has not been visited by an Indian minister in the last three years. From a time when we mainly had mercantile and maritime links between Mombasa and Mumbai, we have today

• this Annual meeting which connects Abidjan and Ahmedabad

• business links between Bamako and Bangalore

• cricketing links between Chennai and Cape Town

• development links between Delhi and Dakar.

This brings me to our development cooperation. India’s partnership with Africa is based on a model of cooperation which is responsive to the needs of African countries. It is demand-driven and free of conditions.

As one plank of this cooperation, India extends lines of credit through India’s Exim Bank. 152 credits have been extended to 44 countries for a total amount of nearly 8 billion dollars.

During the Third India-Africa Forum Summit, India offered 10 billion dollars for development projects over the next five years. We also offered grant assistance of 600 million dollars."

Prime Minister Modi also thanked the President of the African Development Bank, saying, "It is reported that you have described our recent steps as text book chapters for other developing nations and called us a development beacon. While thanking you for these kind words, I am also glad to know that you have spent quite some time training in Hyderabad earlier."

Attending the inaugural ceremony were the Presidents of Benin and Senegal, the Vice President of Cote D’Ivoire, President of the African Development Bank, Secretary-General of the African Union, Commissioner of the African Union Commission, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Defence, Arun Jaitley and other dignitaries from African nations and India.

Image: PIB