December 4, 2014
New Delhi
India will host the forthcoming India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) sometimes next year provided the menace of Ebola virus that has overtaken a portion of African continent is completely eliminated much before the Summit is scheduled, indicates the government here on Thursday at Conference on “Africa: A Land of Opportunities” under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Summit which was first organized here in New Delhi in way back in 2008 and subsequently at second time in 2011 succeeded a great deal in intensifying, diversifying and multiplying India and African continent trade and economic relations and deepened their partnership could be hosted provided the ongoing Ebola virus is contained, in the absence of which the proposed Summit would have to be deferred, hinted the Joint Secretary (East & South Africa), Ministry of External Affairs, Mr. Vinay Kumar.
In his inaugural address at the two day Conference on “Africa: A Land of Opportunities” which commenced here today under the joint patronage of Ministry of External Affairs and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Kumar said that the India Africa Forum Summit led to drastically enhancement of India’s investments to the entire African continent as also amounted to their two-way trade acceleration in a substantial manner.
On account of these two summits held here in New Delhi in 2008 and 2011, the target of two-way trade earlier set at US$75 billion for India and African continent by 2015 was going to be surpassed as India expected that by the end of current fiscal, their trade could exceed US$90 billion, said Mr. Kumar adding that as a result of dialogues generated within the ambit of Forum’s meeting, India’s relationship with African continent evolved into a relationship of partnership between equals and did not stay at a level of donors and donatee, he pointed out.
The Ambassadors and High Commissioners of African continent that have gathered for the conference from countries such as Algeria, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Tunisia, Egypt and like asked India to concentrate on releasing her investments to the entire continent in its infrastructure sector rather than concentrating on areas of oil, gas and fertilizers as India has been importing these commodities at a substantial level from the African continent.
Prominent among those who voiced the aforesaid concern during the conference consisted of Ambassador, Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Mr. Mohammed Hacene Echarif; Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea Mr. Alexandre Cece Loua; High Commissioner of Kenya Mrs. Florence Imisa Weche; High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda Mr. Ernest Rwamucyo; Ambassador of Tunisia Mr. Tarek Azouz; Minister Economic & Commercial Bureau of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mr. Mongy Aly Mohamed Badr and High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania & Deputy Dean of African Nations in India Mr. John W H Kijazi.
The Conference was presided over by the Chairman International Affairs Committee for Africa, PHD Chamber Mr. Sanjeev Sardana and its Executive Director Mr. Saurabh Sanyal moderated the conference.
