The question of what India hopes to get in return for pouring billions of dollars in aid into Africa was answered on the concluding day of the second India-Africa summit when the co-chair of the India-Africa Forum issued a ringing endorsement of India’s quest for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council.
Support, that was reciprocated by India for a similar claim by Africa to occupy its rightful place in the international body.
“India can count on Africa’s support,” said Equatorial Guinea President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on Wednesday, speaking at a joint press conference with the other co-chair of the India-Africa Forum, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seated alongside. “India is a leader and aspires to a seat on the UN Security Council, India can count on us in this aspiration,” he said.
India’s Africa outreach has seen a promise of $5 billion in aid, that offers a broad range of support in fields as varied as education, technology, healthcare and craft, winning the confidence of African states that India is in it for the long-term. Dr Singh, when asked whether India’s confidence in Africa was not misplaced, given the turmoil that visits many of its states, quoted Lord Keynes to say, “The act of investment is an act of faith”.
“The people and government of India have enough faith in the people of Africa that whatever is happening, whatever difficulty they face today, it has the will, the resources and the confidence to overcome,” the Prime Minister said.
However, asked about moves by the IMF to ensure that another European, Frenchwoman Christine Legarde takes over as IMF president, Dr Singh pulled no punches when he said he was not sure who would succeed the discredited Dominique Strauus-Kahn, but “Reform of global institutions and Bretton Woods has remained particularly high on the agenda of developing countries for a long time.”