New Delhi
27 October 2015
Honourable Minister of External Affairs of India, Madam Sushma Sawaraj,
Excellency Chairperson, Excellencies,
It is my privilege and honour to express my deep appreciation to the Indian government for organizing and hosting this timely ministerial forum to discuss vital issues of growth and development. On behalf of my delegation, I would also like to thank the government of India for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to us.
The India-Africa Forum is an important platform of consultations capable of supporting the ongoing efforts to enhance the level of cooperation between Africa and India. It is also a testimony to the seismic shift that is taking place in the world.
In this emerging strong partnership between Africa and India, economic cooperation, particularly trade and investment- from India to Africa as well as from Africa to India- has rightly taken precedence. We note with satisfaction that encouraging progress has been registered in this
critical area of cooperation, even as we are keenly aware that much more remains to be done.
The cooperation between India and Africa also extends to politics and diplomacy, to the crucial common struggle for peace, stability and a more equitable world. Indeed, India and Africa are badly served by the existing unfair international system which is an outdated relic of the post-Second World War arrangements. The situation demands that both sides join hands to forge an international world order that reflects our era and reality. Specifically, we need to work together to make sure that the United Nations, as well as all international financial institutions and security arrangements serve the interests and wellbeing of all peoples and countries of the world.
At the bilateral level, relations between India and Eritrea are friendly and warm. And yet, they have not been translated into robust cooperation, despite the tremendous opportunities that exist for both sides. Eritrea is keen to develop mutually beneficial ties with India, and this stance that is shared by the Indian government. We are confident that this Summit will consolidate relations between India and Eritrea as well as the whole continent.
I thank you.