New Delhi [India], August 6 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said peace and security in Africa are of vital importance to India, highlighting the country’s defence training, maritime cooperation and capacity-building initiatives with African nations.
Addressing an Africa Day event in Delhi, EAM Jaishankar said India has stood with African partners through peacekeeping, defence training, capacity building and maritime cooperation, while outlining India’s efforts to strengthen maritime security across the continent.
“Peace and security in Africa are of vital importance to India. We have stood with African partners through peacekeeping, defence training, capacity building, maritime cooperation,” Jaishankar said.
He said India, guided by ‘Vision MAHASAGAR’, will continue to work towards safer sea lanes, stronger maritime domain awareness, anti-piracy efforts and cooperative responses to emerging challenges.
“Guided by Vision MAHASAGAR, we shall continue to work towards safer sea lanes, stronger maritime domain awareness, anti-piracy efforts, and cooperative responses to emerging challenges,” he said.
Jaishankar said Indian military training teams are currently undertaking capacity-building initiatives in several African countries, including Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Namibia.
“At the same time, professionals from Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo and Namibia are benefiting from our ITEC training slots,” he said.
He also highlighted India’s participation in multilateral defence and maritime exercises with African countries, including Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) 2023, Bright Star in 2023 and 2025, India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR) in 2024 and Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) 2025 in Tanzania.
Bilaterally, he said India conducts ‘Exercise Lamitiye’ with Mauritius and ‘Exercise Cyclone’ with Egypt.
He said, “India also participates in multilateral defence and maritime exercises with African countries, including the AFINDEX 2023, Bright Star in 2023 and 2025, IBSAMAR exercise in 2024, and the AIKEYME 2025 in Tanzania. Bilaterally, we also have Exercise Lamitiye with Mauritius, and Exercise Cyclone with Egypt.”
The External Affairs Minister also said India remains committed to reconvening the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-4), which was postponed following an Ebola outbreak.
“Friends, earlier this year, we were ready to host the African leadership at the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit. Unfortunately, the outbreak of Ebola virus led to the postponement of the summit,” Jaishankar said.
He said the decision to postpone the summit was jointly taken by India and its African Union partners.
“The decision to postpone it was jointly taken by our partners of the African Union and India. We continue to be in close contact with the African Union and look forward to an early opportunity that is mutually convenient to reconvene IAFS-4,” he said.
Recalling the significance of Africa Day, Jaishankar said the occasion commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963.
“Africa Day, we all know, commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. Now, this historic milestone gave institutional expression to the ideals of Pan-Africanism and to the collective aspirations of the African people,” he said.
Africa Day, which marks the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, now known as the African Union, provides an annual opportunity to reflect on the challenges and achievements of the governments and peoples of Africa. (ANI)
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