First India-Africa summit pledges close partnership

INDIA: India on Wednesday ended its first-ever summit with African nations, aimed at deepening ties with the resource-rich continent and trying to ensure it is not eclipsed by Asian rival China.

The two-day meeting, attended by leaders of 14 African countries and regional economic groupings, identified food security, high oil prices and climate change as top concerns in a joint declaration as India and Africa pledged to work as partners to solve economic and development challenges.

"The partnership will be based on the fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect and understanding... for our mutual benefit," said the declaration issued at the summit's close in the Indian capital.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete noted "food security and high oil prices clearly impact on our economies."

"We agreed there was need for intervention... that we should bring these two matters to the attention" of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in particular, he said.

On climate change, Kikwete said that since nations contributed differently to global warming, it was necessary to "uphold the principal of common but differential responsibility."

New Delhi, Friday, AFP