The third India-Africa Forum Summit convening in New Delhi October 26 through 29 under the topic “Reinvigorated Partnership, Shared Vision” will be attended by over 40 heads of State and Government.
The Moroccan delegation will be led by King Mohammed VI, who initiated since his coming to power in 1999 economic diplomacy and spearheaded his country’s growing economic integration with Africa, tirelessly endeavoring to unleash the continent’s potential and to make Africa a juncture of innovation and prosperous nations.
It is therefore not surprising to see King Mohammed make the trip to India to join his efforts to those of other African leaders to promote partnership with the Indian sub-continent and make of this partnership a force for Africa’s development, one of the ambitions nurtured by the Moroccan King who endeavors to support the political, economic, financial and cultural development of the continent and to enhance his country’s role at the level of regional and international security.
Since he came to power in 1999, King Mohammed VI paid visits to a score of African Sub-Saharan states, including strategic countries such as Mauritania, Senegal, Congo, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire and others. These visits are part of Morocco’s endeavors and strategy to support the political, economic, financial and cultural development of the continent and to enhance the kingdom’s role at the level of regional and international security.
The third edition of the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) will actually ponder on means of boosting Indian-African cooperation in matters of security and fight against terrorism, a threat endangering the whole world.
The New Delhi Summit will also debate the challenges the two sides are facing, mainly regarding the fight against poverty, disease, illiteracy, and their shared resolve to boost their economic and trade cooperation and to promote the socio-economic development of their people.
As stated in a note on the IAFS website, from their struggle against colonialism and apartheid, Africa and India have emerged to jointly accept the challenges of a globalizing world. “Even as we combat with common threats – the threat from international terrorism; the scourge of poverty, disease, illiteracy and hunger; the challenge of climate change – and collectively promote the socio-economic advancement of all our people, we believe that India and Africa traverse the same path, share the same values and cherish the same dreams,” says the note, adding that “a vibrant India and a resurgent Africa have a vision of a close partnership.”
And it is precisely this close partnership that the participants in the third India-Africa Forum Summit will attempt to materialize.