New Delhi: With India going all out and pushing for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj sought to mobilise African support for reforms at the UN on Sunday.
She said it was “inconceivable” and “incomprehensible” that both India and the entire African continent did not have permanent representation in the elite club.
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A New Chapter: A new phase in Indo-African relations will begin on Monday when the mammoth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) kicks off in the Capital .
- Expanding trade ties will be major focus at the summit which will see participation of over 400 business delegates from Africa. A large number of African countries have huge oil and gas reserves and India wants to invest them.
- The summit is being seen as India's effort to counter-balance growing Chinese influence in the continent.
- India will be mobilising African support for reforms of the UN Security Council in which New Delhi hopes to find place as a permanent member.
- India's current trade with Africa is around $75 billion and it has allocated $7.4 billion for various developmental and capacity building projects in last four years.
- In the last 15 years, India's trade with Africa has gone up 20 times. India also has a investment of up to $35 billion in Africa.
This is a relationship that is beyond strategic considerations. It is a relationship with a strong emotional link. It has been forged by our intersecting history; our centuries-old ties of kinship, commerce and culture. — PM Narendra Modi on ties with Africa
