MMS six-day trip to Africa - Ethiopia & Tanzania - Indo-Africa 2011 Summit: Highlights
1. Africa:
- 15 African countries participated.
- India announces $5billion loans over the next three years, in addition to $700million to establish training centers. In 2008, India announced $5.4billion loan.
- India’s trade with Africa has risen sharply from US$3 billion in 2001 to US$46 billion last year. New Delhi aims to raise this to US$70 billion by 2015. China's trade is estimated to be around $114 - $126 billion.
- Subsequently, IGNOU has announced the details on
Indo-Africa Virtual University. 10,000 scholarships will be awarded. It will take about 6 months to an year to implement this University.
- The African Union mission in Somalia would also benefit from the largesse with a pledge of $2 million while African airlines will get increased access to Indian cities
- Two key documents (1)
Addis Abba Declaration Key issues: The mutual recognition of the importance of multilateralism and south – south cooperation; a comprehensive reform of the UN system including the expansion of the UN Security Council, non discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, countering of terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and trafficking in humans, climate change, enhancement of south- south cooperation, sustainable economic growth, and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.(2)
Africa- India Framework for Enhanced Cooperation Key issues: Widen the scope of the Africa India Framework of Cooperation and its Plan of Action adopted in 2010 and to give additional substance to the partnership. It sets out specific agreements to cooperate in the following areas: economic; political; science, technology, research and development; social development and capacity building; health, culture and sport; tourism; infrastructure, energy and environment and media and communications.
2. Tanzania (has 40,000 persons of Indian origin or Indian business persons)
- India announces new $190 million credit line to support water supply and education projects in Tanzania - $180m to improve water supply and $10m for HR and Educational development.
- Three agreements signed (1) To avoid double taxation on trade deals and (2) India to help develop Tanzania's small and medium industries and (3) to build hospitals.
- Trade volume between the two countries rose five-fold in the five years to 2010 to reach $1 billion, while India's investments in Tanzania reached $1.3 billion in 2010.
- Tanzania pledged continued support to India in its campaign to have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, saying the Asian country deserved it.
- A deal to setup a super-specialty hospital by Apollo to the tune of $150million.
3. Nigeria
- Namadi Sambo, Vice President of Nigeria said his country appreciates India's resolve to keep to its promises arising from the first partnership forum summit held in 2008. He commended the setting up of vocational training centres, the India model low income housing projects, the African Institute for Information Technology, India and Africa Education and Planning Institute, India and Africa Institute of Foreign Trade, India and Africa Diamond Institute as well as the Post-graduate scholarship for African citizens to selected India Higher Institutions.
4. Ethiopia
- Ethiopia offers a sizeable share of its 3 million-hectare farm land to Indian entrepreneurs.
- Karaturi, the Hyderabad-based agricultural investor, has already been given a lease of 300,000 ha. in the Gambela province to produce maize.
- MMS announced a $300 million line of credit to help revive the Ethiopia-Djibouti rail route.
- Investment by Indian companies in Ethiopia may more than double to $10 billion by 2015.
5. Botswana
- India will set up diamond processing facilities in Botswana to help the country move up the value chain. India imports diamonds from Botswana.
6. Kenya
- President Kibaki also held talks with India’s Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh where they agreed that Kenya and India should establish a Joint Business Council as a forum to expand trade and investments between the two countries.
7. Uganda
- India will set up India-Africa Institute of Foreign Trade in Uganda.
8. Ghana
- India will set up India-Africa Institute of Information Technology in Ghana. Imports from India to Ghana stood at $314,491,460 at the end of 2009 against $307,534,508 the previous year. For the same period, exports fell from $204,367,039 to $69,506,586.
Dosa Diplomacy, Quotes, News, tidbits
1. MMS mentions India-Ethiopia cultural similiarities including the use of fermented flour for making dosa in south India and injera in Ethiopia. Also he talks about the sight of women with heads covered and men wearing turbans is strikingly common in Ethiopian and Indian villages.
2. Vivek Katju (secretary) articulated that -
Indian strategy is to build a
web of Indian or India-aided institutions across Africa so it becomes the “steel-grid” of the continent. In the reckoning of South Block, Africa should have close to 90 such institutions over the coming decade.
3. An Indian diplomat said "
This trip has ensured that Africa will increasingly become the new hub of Indian enterprise abroad. Africa is what will grow, the rest of the world is saturated.”
4. An Indian policy maker said "
This is precisely what we have been trying to say — we are very different from the Chinese. They are hardware people, we are investing in Africa’s human resource and capacity building, a decade down the line, Africa will remember India more for what we have given them.”
5. "The mission of IAVU is to create conditions that ensure special priority to furthering Indo-African relations by establishing an educational link," said IGNOU Vice Chancellor V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai.
6. Africa now consumes almost 15 per cent of India's total drug production. For Africans, drugs that once cost $10,000 a year are now available for under $400.
7. Katureebee Tayebwa, a counsellor at the Ugandan High Commission in New Delhi: "
I am sure the role of the World Bank will also become irrelevant in the coming days, The World Bank gives us money but imposes so many conditions. We do not want conditions, we want money."
8. Perhaps India's biggest achievement is integrating itself into the fabric of African life. By some counts, 2 million Indians live on the continent, many of whose families have called it home for generations.
9. MMS said: "
We would all like the Indian Ocean to remain a secure link between Asia and Africa through which international maritime trade can take place unhindered"
10. Indian investors have already committed $4.7 billion investment in the farm sector of Ethiopia. India is the largest foreign investor in Ethiopia. With India facing land and water constraints, investment in farm sector abroad is seen as a viable option for meeting the challenges of food security. Sources said land is leased out for approximately $50 per year for one hectare.
11. “
I am often accused of being too pro-India,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told Dr.Singh when they began their talks at the former palace of Emperor Haile Selasie. “
And my answer is, 'Guilty as charged!”
12. Indian diaspora in Africa is the second largest in the world. With 2.8 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda account for the largest share.
13. Indian conglomerates, both in the public as well in the private sector, have considerable presence in some large African countries with huge investments. These include Tata Group, Coal India, Reliance Industries, BHEL, Essar, Mahindra, Bharti Airtel, Kirloskar and Dr Reddy’s.
14. Ghana's former president John Agyekum Kufuor said "
As a continent, Africa does not look to India with envy but with pride because of what it has been able to achieve with its can do spirit."
Links:
1.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/331027/ ... frica.html
2.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... 590c94.991
3.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110528/j ... 040239.jsp
4.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Dosa-dipl ... 02416.aspx
5.
http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/27/stories ... 031600.htm
6.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story ... 39322.html
7.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... -education
8.
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalco ... nto-africa
9.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatime ... repreneurs
10.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opi ... 86095.html
11.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/- ... /7s6bqf/-/
12.
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corp ... /rok910/-/
13.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201105250846.html
14.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatime ... -education
15.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/ ... 15/436085/
16.
http://www.wantedinafrica.com/content/n ... ?id_n=7919
17.
http://www.pravasitoday.com/text-of-add ... rliament[i]
{full text of MMS address to Ethiopian Parliament}[/i] Nice speech.
18.
http://www.indiaafricaconnect.in/view-m ... 56832&cid=
19.
http://mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=100017663&pid=2142 {
full text of Addis Ababa Declaration}