PM arrives in Ethiopia for India-Africa summit

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday arrived in Addis Ababa on a six-day visit to Ethiopia and Tanzania where, among other things, he will take part in the second India-Africa summit.

The prime minister was accorded a red carpet welcome at the Bole airport by Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemarim Pesalegem, and Indian diplomats were present to receive him. The prime minister, who is accompanied by a high level delegation will be co-chairing the meet with the African Union chairperson Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on Tuesday. Leaders from 15 African countries, chosen by the AU under a participatory formula worked out between India and the AU in 2006, will represent Africa at the summit

President of Equatorial Guinea Mbasogo, in his capacity as chairperson of the African Union, will co-chair the summit along with Dr Singh.

The prime minister is accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur and a high-level delegation.

This is the first visit by an Indian PM to Ethiopia.

PTI adds: Dr Singh, who arrived in the Ethiopian capital for the Second Africa-India Forum Summit, to be attended by 15 African countries, is also expected to make a strong pitch for United Nations reforms. He will co-chair the summit with the President of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in his current capacity as chairperson of the African Union.

The leaders will discuss significant aspects of the India-Africa partnership with the objective of enhancing and widening its ambit for mutual benefit. The summit is expected to come out with the Addis Ababa declaration setting out the roadmap for further consolidating the strategic partnership between India and the African Union. An Africa-India framework for enhanced cooperation will also be firmed up at the Summit.

In his departure statement in New Delhi, Dr Singh said that the India-Africa partnership rests on three pillars of capacity building and skill transfer, trade and infrastructure development.

"The India-Africa Forum is designed to respond to the needs and priorities of Africa and for India to learn from Africa's rich experience. It is based on equality, mutual trust and a consultative and transparent approach. It is a living embodiment of South-South cooperation," he said.

The second Africa-India Forum Summit will be a landmark event that will for the first time bring together a large gathering of African leaders to meet with India on African soil.

"Today, both Africa and India are on the move. Africa is emerging as a new growth pole of the world, while India is on a path of sustained and rapid economic development. Relations between India and Africa are marked by strong people-to-people interaction and a deep sense of solidarity and goodwill," the PM said.

On Tanzania, he said India has excellent political and economic relations with them, which date back to the days of Julius Nyerere and the Nonaligned Movement.

"Our cooperation has expanded in recent years in diverse sectors. We wish to enhance the substance of this partnership in consonance with the developmental priorities of Tanzania. I look forward to my discussions with President Jakaya Kikwete to this end," he said.

New Delhi has voiced its serious concerns over the threats posed by Somali pirates since about 11 per cent of seafarers engaged by international shipping companies are Indian nationals, some of whom have been taken hostage. India's push for getting a strong foothold in Africa comes in the midst of major initiatives being taken by China and Japan to make deep inroads there.

"Our relationship with Africa stands on its own", said Katju going on to add, "India is not engaged in competition in Africa with any other country. We are friends and we will continue to be friends and brothers. We have a historical relationship."

On UN reforms, India and all the countries of the African Union share the view that there is such a need including expansion in permanent and non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. India wants Africa to get a permanent seat in the security council. African countries too have supported India for a permanent membership in the UNSC.

The countries, who are expected to participate in the summit are Algeria, Burundi, Chad, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Namibia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Swaziland.

The prime minister is expected to make a number of announcements like setting up of four regional centres of excellence, vocational training centres in African countries, skill training and an additional Line of Credit.

Dr Singh will have meetings with a number of African leaders on the margins of the Summit on May 24 and 25. He will be accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur and his delegation at the dummit will include External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, T K A Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.

The summit will be preceded by the foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday.