External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said India and Africa have a “deep solidarity” and an “unshakeable friendship”, and asserted that New Delhi stands fully committed to Africa’s development, prosperity and progress.
In his address at the Africa Day celebrations here, he also said that as Global South partners, India “strongly advocates a greater voice for Africa” in global institutions and discourse.
“Delighted to attend #AfricaDay2025 Celebrations today in Delhi. India and Africa have a deep solidarity and an unshakeable friendship. India stands fully committed to Africa’s development, prosperity and progress,” he said in a post on X.
In his post, Jaishankar also shared some photos of the celebrations and spoke of further boosting India-Africa partnership.
“Our partnership continues to strengthen in trade, development cooperation, capacity building and security. And as Global South partners, India strongly advocates a greater voice for Africa in global institutions and discourse.
“India and Africa will engage and work together very closely. We will together fashion a contemporary agenda of cooperation aimed towards realisation of African priorities,” he said.
African Union (AU) was inducted as a member of the G20 in September 2023 when India held the chair of the influential grouping and hosted the G20 Summit.
Jaishankar in his address said in keeping with its longstanding espousal of the African cause, it was natural that India in its G20 Presidency pushed for African Union’s full membership of the G20.
“The same spirit guides our approach to the reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council. We believe that Africa should be represented in line with the Ezulweni consensus and the Sirte Declaration,” he said.
The external affairs minister (EAM) said India also affirms its commitment in advancing Africa Development Framework Agenda 2063 aimed to provide a better, secure and sustainable future for the people of Africa.
The Africa Day 2025 celebrations have a theme of ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations’.
“We in India can fully empathise with Africa’s pain, having been subjected to loot, pillaging and slavery ourselves by colonial powers. While nations of the world have regained their freedom, the legacy of the past remains strong in the global order. The inequities of the past are extrapolated into the unfairness of the present and the uncertainty of the future,” Jaishankar said.
“The world has seen progress towards political reordering, but the economic, social and cultural dimensions are far from being addressed. There has to be credible accounting of the past if the world is really prepared to move on,” he said.
In his address, the EAM asserted that “today is an occasion for us to express our solidarity, our friendship, our partnership with Africa. India has always been and will always be with Africa”.
He also said that “we have the fullest confidence that the nations of Africa will overcome every obstacle and realize their destiny” as they move ahead on the path of development.
The EAM also spoke of the expansion in India’s diplomatic footprint in Africa in recent years.
“Demonstrating our commitment to Africa, we have expanded our diplomatic footprint in recent years with opening of 17 new diplomatic Missions bringing the total number of Indian Missions in the Continent to 46,” he said.
Jaishankar further said India looked forward to organising the India-Africa Summit-IV, adding, “We hope that the event would provide a more contemporary agenda of cooperation aimed at realising Africa’s priorities”. PTI
