Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, said about 40 heads of state and government, including Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, are expected to attend the third India-Africa Forum Summit from October 26 to 29, 2015.
Mr Modi made the disclosure during an interactive session with journalists, at his official residence in New Delhi, during which he said that India has given $7.4b concessional lines of credit to Africa since 2008.
Modi, who noted that India and Africa have emotional ties, equally stated that apart from about $1.2billon grant assistance to African nations to finance human resource development, India has trained 25,000 Africans in the last three years.
The Indian leader said: “The participation of all African countries, including over 40 at the level of Heads of State or Government in the summit is a testimony to the deep bonds of friendship and mutual faith between India and Africa.”
Modi added, “We are blessed with a vast reservoir of mutual goodwill and confidence. India and Africa constitute one-third of the world’s population. About 65 per cent of them are below 35 years (a large majority of them are in their youth).
“Indeed, India and Africa will have a significant part of the global youth population in this century. Their future will shape the course of this world to a great extent.”
On assistance to Africa, Modi said India was proud to be a development partner of Africa, adding that “34 African countries now enjoy duty-free access to the Indian market of 1.25billon people.”
The Indian prime minister further emphasized the importance of a partnership between India and African countries, saying such partnership can “both to reinforce and accelerate each other’s economic development and to build a more just, inclusive, equitable and sustainable world.”
Story: The Nation
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