Dr. Jaishankar Shares Future Roadmap with African Heads of Mission
6th August, New Delhi ( TGN ) – External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar participated in the Africa Day 2026 celebrations held in the national capital on 5 August. During the event, he met with African Heads of Mission accredited to India and senior members of the diplomatic community, sharing a roadmap for the future of India-Africa relations. The meeting aimed to further deepen strategic, economic, and defence cooperation between India and the African continent.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, while addressing the gathering, the External Affairs Minister highlighted the strong ideological and historical foundations of the India-Africa partnership. He said, “Our intertwined histories acquired another dimension, a somber one, during the colonial era, when our peoples suffered under the yoke of colonialism. India and Africa stood together in their common struggle for freedom and for human dignity – and that bonding continues even today”
Dr. Jaishankar emphasized that India is today among Africa’s largest trade and investment partners. Sharing key figures, he noted that bilateral trade between the two sides has reached USD 93 billion, while India’s cumulative investment in Africa has exceeded USD 80 billion. He underlined that Africa, with its young population and abundant natural resources, stands on the threshold of transformation and complements India’s innovation-driven growth journey.
He said, “India stands for an inclusive, demand-driven development cooperation with Africa that enhances local capacity to support national priorities. To this end, I recognize today that Government of India has extended a 190 Line of Credits (LOC), exceeding USD 10 billion for projects in over 40 countries in Africa. So far, more than 220 projects worth USD 4.5 billion have been successfully completed, many others are in the pipeline. ”
Reaffirming India’s commitment to the Global South, Dr. Jaishankar said, “At a time when conflicts increasingly impact the Global South, our partnership focusses has also focused on food security. Recent examples include supply of food grains to Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Botswana, and Sierra Leone. Our experience in reviving millet production is also very useful for African nations. In addition, medicines, vaccines, medical equipment, and disaster relief materials have been sent to over 25 African countries in the last 5 years as a gesture of our solidarity. “
