New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday voiced India’s readiness to provide clean technologies to Africa in its transition to a greener economy and expanding cooperation in maritime security.
“India is committed to support Africa’s energy transition through deployment of clean energy technologies,” said Jaishankar, addressing the CII-Exim Bank Conclave on Harnessing Africa-India Opportunity: Connect, Create and Collaborate.
“Whether it is in power, water or agriculture, a closer collaboration can help build Africa greener. Indeed, the full potential of our green technologies and practices should be more aggressively exploited in the days to come,” he added.
The EAM highlighted India’s decades-old development partnership with Africa, especially in education, skill development and health.
“The Covid era has seen a visible shift to greater digital dependence. Our goal must be to use these new tools and practices for better delivery on the ground. As part of our commitment to ‘Data for Development’, we support digital platforms and e-governance efforts in a range of domains.”
India has launched the e-Vidya Bharti and e-Arogya Bharti network in 2019 on tele-education and telemedicine. 17 African countries have joined the project so far. Another initiative, SheGoesDigital, has been particularly well-received.
“The ability to offer education, skills and training through the digital medium vastly expands the numbers who have been covered earlier under the ITEC and ICCR scholarships. These investments in human capital are a statement of India’s expectations of Africa and our belief in building a truly collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership, ” said Jaishankar.
He said India-Africa Partnership has assumed greater salience in the post-Covid scenario.
“There is no doubt that in Africa, as in other parts of the world, the Covid pandemic has created a new awareness and demand on the public health side. Inequity in access to medicines and vaccines has further highlighted problems. On its part, India envisages health cooperation as reflecting our Global South solidarity.
Prime Minister Modi’s call for “One Earth One Health” approach, he said, underlined India’s continuing commitment, already evident in the supply of medicines and vaccines to many nations of Africa.
Focusing on the area of l security cooperation, the EAM said India is open to expanding cooperation in maritime safety and security.
“India has a long history in defence and security cooperation with Africa. That is today being updated to meet more contemporary challenges. Our involvement in HADR (Human Assistance and Disaster Relief) operations has been notable, such as during cyclone Idai in Mozambique.
‘We are open to expanding cooperation in maritime safety and security, given the increase in non-traditional threats faced by many African littoral states,” he said.
There has been a growing radicalization and an increase in international terrorism and violent extremism in some parts of Africa.
