But nothing really happened. “The meeting is going on”, the official said.
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The officials are negotiating two documents, which would be adopted at the summit.
She said due to the fast-growing linkages of terrorist groups across the globe, “we must step up our cooperation through intelligence exchange, training and other measures to counter this menace”. 270,000 Indians live in Africa and 25,000 African students attended Indian training.
Since he came to power in 1999, King Mohammed VI paid visits to a score of African Sub-Saharan states, including strategic countries such as Mauritania, Senegal, Congo, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire and others.
Modi, who is ready to hold around 40 bilateral meetings with visiting African leaders this week, stressed that he would once again pitch for UN Security Council reforms and seek Africa’s support for India’s bid for a permanent UNSC seat.
“We are confident that every institution and country invited will be present when our prime minister will take the floor on October 29”.
“This is a summit of fifty six representatives – 54 (countries) from Africa, the African Union and our prime minister”, Syed Akbaruddin, further secretary within the ministry and the chief coordinator of IFAS, informed the media. It was supposed to be held in December past year, but was shelved due to the deadly Ebola virus, which affected a few West African nations, leaving thousands of people dead.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement the summit would address issues of “common concern” such as climate change and Global terrorism. “Noting that India has invested $1.2 billion in more than 100 institutes, Modi said, adding: “The point which makes me the most happy is that there is this partnership between India and Africa that is human resource development, the capacity building”.
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“Today, with substantial trade and investments, Africa is a frontier of new opportunities”, Swaraj told African dignitaries in Delhi on Sunday. This comment, among others, indicates the soft foreign policy approach that India is taking in regards to the African continent, as it attempts to consolidate a relationship that is based on development, as opposed to exploitation or extraction.
