Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu reiterated that India believes the progress of the world is contingent on the development of the Global South and that ‘we attach utmost priority to the India-Africa relationship’.
Naidu, who is on a three-nation tour of Gabon, Senegal and Qatar, was addressing the business community at the India-Gabon Business event in Libreville, Gabon. Speaking about India’s growing economic relationship with Africa, he said that ‘India’s own vision of cooperation with Africa will increasingly center around health, digital and green growth. And this is so because we believe that these are Africa’s priorities as well’.
Naidu noted that India-Gabon bilateral trade has crossed US$ 1 billion mark in 2021-22 despite the pandemic and that India is now the 2nd largest destination for Gabonese exports. He also noted the presence of several Indian companies in diverse sectors such as Oil & Gas, Mining, pharmaceuticals, wood processing, etc, especially in the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ). Earlier in the day, he visited the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) and witnessed the facilities and interacted with the Indian entrepreneurs there.
Touching on energy cooperation, the Vice President said that Gabon is an important partner for India’s energy security requirement, and observed that India imported about US$ 670 million worth crude oil from Gabon in 2021-22.
Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, who is also a part of the official delegation, called for further exploring India-Gabon cooperation in green energy, services, health, and agriculture among other sectors.
She suggested that India and Gabon should broad base their economic partnership and harness the complementarities in their economy to attract investments. “A lot more can be done together if we identify the core strengths and possible pathways for collaboration”, she added.
After the business event, Naidu was hosted by the Indian diaspora community at a reception organised on the occasion of his visit. Addressing the gathering, Shri Naidu expressed pleasure that a small but significant Indian diaspora have been making significant contribution in various fields in Gabon.
Naidu observed that the 30- million strong Indian diaspora around the world have been playing a significant role in shaping India’s foreign policy.
