Washington, June 17 (IANS) India and the US can work together to help Africa move forward on the development path with India providing the relevant expertise, India’s envoy to the US said here.
‘As we look towards what India and the US can do together… perhaps what could be considered is if the US wanted to use Indian experts for some of their programmes or have training within India,’ Meera Shankar said at an event here Wednesday.
She was responding to suggestions from diplomats and corporate leaders at a discussion on ‘Partnering with Africa: US and India’s Perspectives’ organised by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
India’s experiences as a developing country can help Africa on its own path of development, Shankar said noting many policy solutions developed by India can have relevance for the continent of one billion people with immense economic potential.
‘That’s the kind of thing, in which we can make a beginning in working together,’ she said.
‘Many of the solutions that we have developed or the policies that we have applied in India have relevance for Africa.’
Noting that India has ‘historical ties’ with Africa, Shankar said India brings to the table its own experience as a developing country that has sought to pursue the path of development in a democratic framework and within a highly pluralistic society and polity.
Opening the discussion, FICCI president Rajan Bharti Mittal said India and the United States both have a role to play in the development of Africa and it would not be fair if the successful business model developed by India is not put to use in Africa.
