India-Africa summit to be held in the Ethiopian capital

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 18, 2011(ADDIS ABABA) – The second India-Africa Forum will be held next week in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and the seat of the African Union (AU), Sudan Tribune has learnt.

During the two-day summit to be held between 24-25 May, Indian and African leaders will be discussing regional and international issues of common concern including trade, growing threats of piracy, terrorism and climate change.

The issues of UN reforms will be at the top of the agenda. Ahead of the forum, India has backed Africa for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is expected to arrive in Ethiopia on 23 May, will co-chair the summit. The Indian premier will also confer with his Ethiopian counterpart, Meles Zenawi, on bilateral issues and the situation in the region.

India hosted the first summit in New Delhi in April 2008, which adopted two far-reaching documents, the Delhi Declaration and the India-Africa Framework for Cooperation.

India’s bilateral trade with Africa is estimated to be around $50 billion. India has set a target to boost this trade mark to $70 billion by 2012, still far behind China’s bilateral trade with Africa, which passed the $100 billion mark in 2010.
The summit will bring together leaders from Egypt, Kenya, Algeria, Chad, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Malawi, Senegal, Namibia, Mauritania, Swaziland, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Jean Ping, the chairperson of the AU Commission, will also take part in the summit.

The 53-nation AU has assured India that it will work closely with New Delhi to ensure the success of the second India-Africa Forum summit.

(ST)