India a trusted partner in Africa’s path towards development, says PM Modi at BRICS summit

New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India has always been a reliable and trusted partner in Africa’s path towards attaining all round development in various spheres.

Addressing African nations’ representatives during the BRICS Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue, Modi said that “In our common history, we have vehemently opposed colonialism and apartheid.”

Modi said that Mahatma Gandhi had fought powerful forces through non-violence and peaceful resistance on the African soil and Nelson Mandela was inspired by Gandhi's thoughts.

“On the basis of these strong ties, we have established modern relations and are giving them a new shape. India has always given top priority to its relations with African nations,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi said that today India was Africa’s fourth largest trading partner and fifth largest investor.

Be it power projects in Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda or sugar plants in Ethiopia and Malawi, or technology parks in Mozambique and Ivory Coast or Indian universities' campuses in Tanzania and Uganda, India has always prioritised infrastructure development and capacity building in Africa, the prime minister said in his speech.

“Under Agenda 2063, India is a reliable and close partner in making Africa a global powerhouse. We have also provided more than 15,000 scholarships in tele-education and tele-medicine in Africa.

“Almost 4,400 peacekeepers, which also include women, are playing an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the continent and we have also helped in combating terrorism and piracy as well as providing vaccines to combat the Pandemic and worked with African nations to jointly manufacture Covid and other vaccines,” Modi said.

“To include concerns of the Global South in the international mainstream, we have invited three African nations and several developing nations as guest countries in the forthcoming G20 summit in New Delhi next month,” the Prime Minister informed.

He said that India has also proposed giving permanent membership to the African Union in G20.

“I believe that BRICS and all nations present here can strengthen the multipolar world,” Modi concluded.

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