Int efforts necessary to bail Africa out of poverty trap:

Dharam Shourie

United Nations, Oct 17 (PTI) Underlining the urgency of
finding solutions to the major challenges facing Africa, India
has called on the international community to effectively
implement all its commitments and assist the continent to come
out of "poverty trap".

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly Thursday,
Indian delegate D. Raja expressed full support for the African
Union's position that the continent deserved special
attention.

Stating that India has always been committed to elevate
its special relationship with Africa into enduring
partnership, he said the strides made by it in infrastructure,
agriculture, health and science and technology indicates the
awakening of a giant which will immutably transform the
international political and economic order.


Referring to the stalled Doha round of negotiations,
Raja said India and Africa are working together in
international fora, including the World Trade Organization, on
the priority sectors integral to the development of Africa in
the 21st Century.


"A vibrant India and a resurgent Africa are witnessing
an intensification of relations and growing convergence of
interest in their common quest for sustainable economic growth
and development," he told the 192-member General Assembly.

Democratisation of international financial
institutions, he said, is on the common agenda of India and
Africa as both have been affected by the global economic
slowdown and high food and oil prices.

Also on the common agenda are issues of climate change,
fighting terrorism, combating disease, eradication of hunger
and poverty and promotion of pluralism and democracy, he
stressed.

Raja was intervening in the debate on progress in
implementation and international support to New Partnership
for Africa's Development.

"India has enhanced the available concessional Lines of
Credit for Africa to USD 5.4 billion and as it sincerely
aspires for a long-term partnership, it is investing in
building economic infrastructure including railways, IT,
telecom and power," he said.

For India, Raja said, capacity building in Africa has
been an area of priority.

Since 1964, India has, through the Indian Technical and
Economic Cooperation (I.T.E.C.) Programme, worked with Africa
in placing thousands of students from Africa in professional
institutions under Indian scholarship schemes, he told the
delegates.

He said over 15,000 African students were currently
studying in Indian universities and colleges.

India will over the next five to six years undertake, on
a grant basis, projects in critical areas focusing on
education, science, IT, agriculture and renewable energy and
has offered a substantially higher number of training slots
and has also doubled long-term scholarships, he added.

"We have allocated half a billion dollars for this
purpose," he said.

The pan-African e-network project, Raja said, is a
shining example of India-Africa partnership.