India-Africa ties in high gear: Ansari
Dismissing fears that Indias renewed focus on Africa is a response to Chinas aggressive investments in the continent, Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said, The elephant will walk at its own pace.
Ansari made his comments on board the special Air India flight from New Delhi to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. He will also be travelling to two other southern African countries Malawi and Botswana in a trip being hailed as breaking new grounds in Indias engagement with Africa.
Indias total trade with Africa is an estimated 39 billion dollars, according to the Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Vivek Katju. Another ministry official, who did not wish to be named, told The Indian Express that Chinas total trade in Africa is three to four times higher than ours.
At a press conference on board the aircraft, Ansari said Indias style while investing in Africa was not aggressive and was backed by Indias historic support for the liberation of colonised regimes and the struggle against apartheid. To questions about Indias decades-long neglect of Africa, the Vice-President said this relationship was now in high gear, pointing to the tone set by Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs landmark India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in 2008.
Mapping out some of the deliverable during his visit, Ansari listed a possible extension of Indian lines of credit to one or two big projects in Zambia. On the upcoming trip to Botswana, Ansari hoped to source directly from the Botswanas diamond mines instead of relying on prices set by a monopoly. The South African conglomerate De Beers is the worlds largest miner and trader, and is often accused of monopolistic practices. India is the largest importer of uncut diamonds and Botswana the largest producer.
Dismissing fears that Indias renewed focus on Africa is a response to Chinas aggressive investments in the continent, Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Tuesday said, The elephant will walk at its own pace.
Ansari made his comments on board the special Air India flight from New Delhi to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. He will also be travelling to two other southern African countries Malawi and Botswana in a trip being hailed as breaking new grounds in Indias engagement with Africa.
Indias total trade with Africa is an estimated 39 billion dollars, according to the Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Vivek Katju. Another ministry official, who did not wish to be named, told The Indian Express that Chinas total trade in Africa is three to four times higher than ours.
At a press conference on board the aircraft, Ansari said Indias style while investing in Africa was not aggressive and was backed by Indias historic support for the liberation of colonised regimes and the struggle against apartheid. To questions about Indias decades-long neglect of Africa, the Vice-President said this relationship was now in high gear, pointing to the tone set by Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs landmark India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in 2008.
Mapping out some of the deliverable during his visit, Ansari listed a possible extension of Indian lines of credit to one or two big projects in Zambia. On the upcoming trip to Botswana, Ansari hoped to source directly from the Botswanas diamond mines instead of relying on prices set by a monopoly. The South African conglomerate De Beers is the worlds largest miner and trader, and is often accused of monopolistic practices. India is the largest importer of uncut diamonds and Botswana the largest producer.
