A new chapter in India-Africa ties can be written

Source- The post is based on the article “A new chapter in India-Africa ties can be written” published in the “The Hindu” on 1st July 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Bilateral and regional groupings

Relevance- India and Africa relationship

News- The 20-member Africa Expert Group (AEG), established by the Vivekananda International Foundation, recently presented the VIF Report entitled ‘India-Africa Partnership: Achievements, Challenges and Roadmap 2023’.

What are some key takeaways from the report?

The report examines the transitions unfolding in Africa- demographic, economic, political and social. These changes along with the adverse impact of the pandemic and complicated geopolitics will transform the continent.

It is slowly heading toward regional integration. It is devoted to democracy, peace and progress.

There is high competition in Africa among at least half a dozen countries such as China, Russia, the United States, the European Union.

It is for strengthening their relations with parts of Africa to ensure market access, gain energy and mineral security, and increase political and economic influence.

China has an edge over others with a consistent and robust policy since 2000. It is Africa’s biggest economic partner. China has played the role of ‘the infrastructure developer’, ‘the resource provider’, and ‘the financier.

Since 2007, Chinese leaders have visited the continent 123 times, while 251 African leaders have visited China.

India has a substantive partnership with Africa and a rich fund of goodwill. But it is essential for New Delhi to review its Africa policy periodically. It should stay resilient by making the required changes, and should focus on its implementation.

What is the way forward for India and Africa relationship as suggested by the report?

Political and diplomatic cooperation– It should be strengthened by restoring periodic leaders’ summits through the medium of the India-Africa Forum Summit.

A new annual strategic dialogue between the chairperson of the African Union (AU) and India’s External Affairs Minister should be launched in 2023.

There is a need to forge consensus among G-20 members on the Africa’s entry into the G-20 as a full member. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent communication to G-20 leaders requesting support for this proposal.

MEA should have a secretary exclusively in charge of African affairs to further enhance the implementation and impact of the Africa policy.

Defence and security cooperation– The government needs to increase the number of defence attachés deployed in Africa and expand dialogue on defence issues.

It should widen the footprint of maritime collaboration and expand lines of credit to facilitate defence exports.

More can be done to increase the number of defence training slots and enhance cooperation in counterterrorism, cyber security and emerging technologies.

Economic and development cooperation– India-Africa trade touching $98 billion in FY22–23 is an encouraging development. This figure can go up if access to finance through the creation of an Africa Growth Fund is ensured.

A special package to improve project exports and build up cooperation in the shipping domain has been suggested. A special focus on promoting trilateral cooperation and deepening science and technology cooperation could pay rich dividends.

Socio-cultural cooperation– It should be increased through greater interaction between universities, think tanks, civil society and media organisations in India and select African countries.

Setting up a National Centre for African Studies will be the right step. Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and ICCR scholarships awarded to Africans should be named after famous African figures.

Visa measures for African students who come to India for higher education should be liberalised. They should also be given work visas for short periods.

The report suggests a special mechanism for implementing the ‘Roadmap 2030’. This can best be secured through close collaboration between the MEA and the National Security Council Secretariat.