PM reaches out to Indian community in Tanzania

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his arrival to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania addressed the Indian community in which he said that his government is deeply committed to the welfare and prosperity of the Indian community in Tanzania.

"We have created a separate Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to look after the welfare of the Indian community overseas and to facilitate their participation in the socio-economic growth processes in India," Dr Singh said.

Dr Singh further added that the government has taken several initiatives such as establishment of the Overseas Indian Community Welfare Fund and the Overseas Indians Facilitation Centre.

"The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas has become an effective platform for reaching out to our overseas community. Your achievements are a matter of pride for all Indians. I am confident that each one of you will serve as a bridge of friendship between India and Tanzania," he said.

"One of the cornerstones of our interaction remains our shared culture and traditions. I hope the Indian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam, which has opened recently, will provide a platform for children, families and others to preserve and promote our cultural traditions."

"I have just come from Ethiopia after attending the Second Africa India Forum Summit in Addis Ababa, which concluded on Wednesday. I had extensive interactions with African leaders and found a fund of immense goodwill for India." 

"The Summit has launched a new era of partnership between India and Africa in the true spirit of South-South cooperation. The decisions we have taken at the Summit cover the areas of training and capacity building, infrastructure development and trade and investment."

"The fact that Indians and Indian origin communities like you are living and working in various parts of Africa and helping to create wealth and prosperity is extremely impressive and commendable. It shows how well Indian communities have assimilated into local communities in this continent and how much their contributions are respected. I would urge you to be good Tanzanian citizens, and continue to spread the high values which India is known for."

The prime minister would meet with President Kikwete and other leaders of Tanzania on Friday, which will be followed by the signing of the bilateral cooperation agreements.