India committed to supporting development in African countries: Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today met his counterparts from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda, and reiterated India's support to African countries in their developmental efforts.

Naidu held separate meetings with Zimbabwe Vice President General (retd) Constantino Chiwenga, Vice President of Uganda Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi and Vice President of Malawi Saulos Klaus Chilima.

While interacting with his counterparts from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Malawi, Naidu said that India will strive to deepen levels of political, economic and technical engagement with African countries and was committed to assisting them for economic growth and national development.

"India stands committed to support African countries in their development efforts," an official statement quoting the vice president as saying during his meetings with the leaders from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda.

Naidu, during his meetings with the three leaders, also recalled that during the India-Africa Summit in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered soft loans to African countries in the form of Lines of Credits, and these loans could be availed in the sectors of infrastructure, power, roads, industrial parks, agriculture etc.

Solar energy is one area where India is extending loans to several African countries and is ready to consider any request from them, he said.

Leaders of several African countries had attended the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance, which was held here this month.

The vice president said that India's relations with African countries in the field of defence and security have gained momentum and several nations have come forward to gain training and other defence related support.

He said that training and capacity building has been the focus of defence cooperation between these countries and Indian military training teams have been actively engaged in the field of training.

Naidu also suggested that India's expertise in agriculture can be fruitfully utilised to give a new innovative, dynamic impetus to agricultural development in many of the African countries.