India’s foreign secretary Harsh Shringla has made a pitch for New Delhi’s support to Africa at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), not only backing an African seat at the council but also how India’s partnership for the continent. FS Shringla said, “India welcomes the evolution and rise of Africa as a key factor in the contemporary world. We are committed to supporting African countries in this endeavour, as per African priorities and without conditionalities.”
Adding, “India will continue to support Africa’s aspirations and work towards empowering Africa for a future that is founded on the principles of inclusivity, sustainability, transparency, and socio-economic development with dignity and respect.” .India has executed 189 developmental projects in 37 African countries and currently, around 77 projects are under execution. New Delhi has committed US$ 1.7 billion as soft loans for solar projects in the continent and has offered 50,000 scholarships to African students.
Shringla said that this is in keeping with the ‘Ten Guiding Principles of India’s engagement with Africa’, as enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to Parliament of Uganda in July 2018. He underscored that full respect for national ownership can never be over-emphasised. “We should recognise the primacy of national governments and national ownership in identifying and driving priorities, strategies and activities for sustaining peace,” he said. Shringla told the Council that the regional impact of fragility is often underestimated. “Fragile states have a direct negative spillover effect on neighbouring states, including that of refugee flows, safe havens for terrorists, organised crime, epidemics, weapons trafficking among others.
India’s top diplomat also pointed out how India reached out to the continent amid the pandemic. He said, “India has supplied critical medicines to several countries in Africa to help them fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Indian institutions and hospitals have been linked to 16 African countries to offer tele-education and tele-medicine services through the e-Vidya Bharati and e-Arogya Bharati portals.” In addition to India’s FS, other world leaders present at the UNSC meeting were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat along with several other world leaders.
