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Is Africa big enough for India and China?
Prime Minister Narendra began the first leg of his tour of Africa with his visit to Rwanda, the first visit of an Indian prime minister to the country. In announcing that India will soon open its mission in Rwanda, Modi has granted a $ 200 million credit line to the East African nation. He also participated in an event on "Girinka" (one cow per family), a national social protection scheme in Rwanda, offering 200 cows. He will travel to Uganda and travel to South Africa for the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. India's relations with Africa have attempted to build on India's traditional links with the continent.
India's links with Africa are centuries old, backed by trade across the Indian Ocean and a diaspora. The shared colonial legacy and post-independence development experience shaped India's relationship with Africa. The role of India as a champion of anti-colonialism and anti-racism after its independence in 1947 brought it closer to African nations. India has emerged as one of the most virulent critics of apartheid in South Africa. New Delhi under his first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, became a follower of strong Afro-Asian solidarity.
Although being on the periphery of world politics during the Cold War, India has become one of the most fervent supporters of African independence. States of colonial subjugation and a supporter of South-South cooperation to challenge the injustices of the global political and economic order. But India's substantial presence in Africa remained marginal as it remained focused on its own periphery for most of the Cold War period, and its capabilities remained limited. Since the end of the cold war and propelled by China's growing profile in Africa, India is revitalizing its ties with the African continent. And the Modi government tried to give the region sustained attention instead of the episodic spread of the past
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The end of the cold war presented new opportunities for India to interact differently with Africa. There were new challenges for India that needed to be managed. India's rapid economic growth needed new markets and access to resources. As a result, economic engagement with Africa has become central to India's new approach. This is related to India's energy security research in which Africa is playing an increasingly important role. India is looking to diversify its oil supply in the Middle East and Africa will play an important role in India's energy matrix.
India is now giving sustained attention to Africa, opening diplomatic missions on the continent and level political interactions India promises loans on favorable terms to countries wishing to trade with India and contributes to education, to the railways and to the maintenance of peace. India has also greatly increased its assistance and assistance to African countries.
India's partnership with Africa is vast and now focuses on human resources and institutional capacity building. It builds economic and trade links with Africa while contributing to the development of African countries through cooperation and technical assistance. The Indian Navy is also engaged in the treatment of pirates off the coast of Somalia. He patrols the waters of the Indian Ocean and helps countries of eastern and southern Africa to fight piracy and oversight of their exclusive economic zones. India has called for cooperation from African coastal states of the Indian Ocean to establish cooperative mechanisms to deal with threats to regional security, including terrorism and piracy.
The trade balance between India and Africa African countries are exporting more goods to India than it imports. This is partly the result of Indian countries benefiting from a preferential duty-free tariff (PMA) launched in 2008, which benefited 33 African states. India hopes that a "development partnership" with Africa will be the cornerstone of its economic ties with the region. It also allows India to differentiate itself from the principles upon which member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), traditional donors of foreign aid, have based their relations with India. beneficiary countries. But India's private sector has not yet taken full advantage of the opportunities offered by Africa, despite a better understanding of the African market compared to Chinese state-owned enterprises.
In addition, India invests in capacity building by providing more than 1 dollar. billions of euros in technical assistance and staff training under the technical and economic cooperation program with India (ITEC). As a full member of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), India has pledged $ 1 million for the Sustainable Development, Poverty Alleviation and Strengthening Initiative. capabilities of the ACBF. India has invested $ 100 million in the pan-African electronic network to bridge the digital divide in Africa, leveraging its strengths in information technology. Indian military academies provide training to military officers from several African states.
Although India continues to enjoy its close ties with some East African countries, it is investing diplomatically to reach the South African states and to the west of the country. the continent. India is organizing India-Africa summits to reach all African countries. The cooperation framework agreed at these summits and Indian initiatives to increase investment and aid to Africa underscored India's goal of promoting a strong partnership between New Delhi and the African continent. The presence of the Indian diaspora on the African continent in significant numbers has given India a significant interest on the continent. As Modi reiterates India's commitment to Africa's future, it would be fully aware that another head of state, the Chinese Xi Jinping, Worries Africa even as both will come together for the BRICS summit. New Delhi will have to start acting on the ground if the India-Africa partnership is to go beyond high-level visits.
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