As Modi speeds up engagement with African countries, there is an important challenge that he faces within the country, namely, making African nationals feel welcome in India.
Has South Africa buckled under Chinese pressure to oppose India’s membership in the NSG? While this cannot yet be confirmed, there are strong indicators that it could be a possibility.
India hosted the third India Africa Forum Summit from October 26-30, 2015. The summit concluded with an agreement to set up a monitoring mechanism that will evaluate the implementation of the projects planned during the summit. It is hoped that India will work towards delivering all the promises made in New Delhi.
Touted as the most spectacular diplomatic exercise hosted by India since the 1983 Non Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, this meeting provides opportunity for India to rejuvenate relations with the continent.
Senior Research Associate, IDSA, Ms Ruchita Beri’s article titled ‘India: Providing for peace in Africa’ was posted on the Ministry for External Affairs’ website on October 26, 2015.
Despite the decline in piracy, there are other threats such as threat of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. The recent discovery of large deposits of natural gas off the country's sea coast has made the Tanzanian government vary of threat to the emerging natural gas infrastructure in the region and it is open to finding new partners, like India, to deal with this peril.
India's historic ties with Mozambique have got a boost in recent years with several high level visits from the country including that of Mozambican President in 2010 and the Mozambican Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi in November 2014. These visits are important in terms of India's growing interest in Mozambique's energy sector.
Over the years, the world has changed in fundamental ways. We are witnessing a resurgence of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Growth and development have not only made the countries more interdependent, but new and increasingly complex challenges have also arisen. For multilateralism to remain relevant and effective in today's world, multilateral institutions must adapt and reform to reflect contemporary geo-political realities. It is in this context that the expansion of the UN Security Council is of significance.
The Declaration pushes for a more equitable norm and the New Development Bank is an interesting outcome. The initial subscribed capital of $50 billion dollars and the responsibilities of the functioning are to be shared equally among the founding members of the bank. While China will host the headquarters, the regional centre will be located in South Africa; similarly the first President of the Bank will be from India, the First Board of Governors from Russia and the first chair of Board of Directors from Brazil.
Strengthening Ties with Africa
As Modi speeds up engagement with African countries, there is an important challenge that he faces within the country, namely, making African nationals feel welcome in India.