India will host the Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) in 2014 as per the decision taken at the Second Summit in Addis Ababa in 2011.
Hon`ble Prime Minister has approved 4th December 2014 as the date for the Third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III). The Summit will be preceded by the Senior Officials` Meeting on 1st December 2014 and Foreign Ministers` Meeting on 2nd December 2014.
Preparations for the IAFS-III have started in consultation with the African Union Commission. We have also informed the African countries through our embassies and high commissions in their capitals. We have taken steps for logistical arrangements for the Summit and related meetings. As was done for the two previous Summits, Declaration and Framework of Cooperation will be finalized in consultation with the African Union.
Implementation of the decisions taken at IAFS summits in 2008 and 2011 is an ongoing process.
Our development cooperation with Africa under the rubric of IAFS entails various projects and programmes. Some of these include short term capacity building training programmes in variety of areas such as agriculture, food processing & quality control, clean energy & sustainable development, information & communication technology etc.; long-term scholarships for higher studies and research; expertise sharing through civil society organizations, corporate sector, media; organization of academic seminars, conferences and strategic dialogues; enhancement of people-to-people contacts through innovative public diplomacy programmes; setting up of capacity building institutions in Africa; provision of concessional lines of credit etc.
Our capacity building training programmes and academic fellowships have been immensely popular and our African partners have demanded more slots than were made available during the two Summits. Expertise sharing programmes have been successfully completed. Seminars, conferences and strategic dialogues have witnessed enthusiastic participation. Our people-to-people contact programmes, which are conducted through the External Publicity & Public Diplomacy Division of MEA, have resulted in increased interaction between our students, journalists, parliamentarians etc.
Africa accounts for over 60% of the total concessional lines of credit (LOCs) extended by the EXIM Bank of India. From April 2009 till June this year, LOCs over US$ 4.2 billion have been extended to African countries.
The progress in setting up of capacity building institutions has been slower than what we would have liked. It is so primarily due to delays in response from the African Union or the countries selected, and lack of adequate funds and manpower to implement the projects offered under IAFS mechanism.
As we begin preparations for IAFS-III, we shall continue implementation of the decisions taken in 2008 and 2011, and expand those programmes, which have already been successfully implemented.
This Information was given by the Minister of Ministry of External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Shrimati Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha today.
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