New Delhi, Mar 24 (UNI) India stands committed to support African countries in their development
efforts.
This was conveyed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in his interaction with his Zimbabwean
counterpart, General (retd) Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Ugandan counterpart Edward Kiwanuka
Ssekandi and Malawi counterpart Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima, who called on him separately, here
on Saturday.
Offering India's expertise in various areas, the Vice President said India’s relations in the field of
defence and security had gained momentum and several countries have come forward to gain
training and other defence related support. Training and capacity building had been the focus
of defence cooperation between these countries and Indian military training teams had been
actively engaged in the field of training, he noted.
He suggested that India’s expertise in agriculture could be fruitfully utilised to give a new innovative,
dynamic impetus to agricultural development in many of the African countries.
Mr Naidu reminded that during the India-Africa Summit in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had offered soft loans to African countries in the form of Lines of Credits, and these loans can be
availed of in areas of infrastructure, power, roads, industrial parks and agriculture. Solar energy
was one area where India was extending loans to several African countries and 'is ready to consider
any request from them', he added.
In a rare occurrence, the Vice President had one-on-one bilateral discussions with the three
African Vice Presidents and also called on the German President Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier later
in the day.
Interacting with the three Vice Presidents, Mr Naidu said India will strive to deepen its levels of political,
economic and technical engagement with African countries and is committed to assist them for
economic growth and national development.
While interacting with the German President Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Vice President
said India and Germany shared similar perceptions on most of the issues confronting the world.
He hoped to deepen the cultural and economic ties between the two countries as well as work
towards a more just, peaceful, inclusive and equitable world order free from terrorism.
He decried the activities of one of India’s neighbour which was 'encouraging, abetting and aiding
terror groups. Terror has no religion,' he emphasised and suggested that the world community
must be unanimous in curbing and rooting out terror in all forms.
UNI SD SHK 2038