INDIA, TANZANIA PLEDGE TO BE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

DURING his meeting with Tanzania President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete in New Delhi – who was in India on a five-day visit from June 17-21 this year – Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India was committed to transform Dar es Salaam into a regional business hub.

According to Modi, the South Asian country is fully prepared to become Tanzania's development partner, and to exploit the full potential of bilateral co-operation.

The premier highlighted Tanzania's potentially-rich natural gas sub-sector, saying India’s expertise would help the African country boost its economy.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Modi also informed the visiting president that India would extend e-tourist visa to the people of Tanzania.

The two countries signed eight MoUs to expand engagement in different areas. According to the PMO statement, the two countries further decided to form a Joint Working Group for strengthening co-operation in counter-terrorism.

“Terrorism in our respective regions is a concern for both countries. We have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to strengthen our co-operation in counter-terrorism,” Modi said when speaking at a joint media conference with President Kikwete.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania President described India as a deserving nation for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, saying that Dar es Salaam would do its best to convince other African countries to back New Delhi’s candidature.

He also assured Prime Minister Modi that Tanzania would enhance co-operation with India in the maritime sector. In the presence of Modi, Kikwete told the Indian media that the two countries had a common interest in maritime security – especially in the Indian Ocean Region.

The Tanzania President also assured full assistance and security to foreign investors as he sought more investment from India. He said that India is Tanzania's largest trading partner in Africa, noting that the volume of bilateral trade was more than US$4 billion in 2013/14!

During his stay in New Delhi, President Kikwete held a separate meeting with his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, who thanked Tanzania for supporting India’s bid for permanent UNSC membership.

President Mukherjee said “India considers the peoples of Africa as brothers in a journey to a common destination... It is India’s firm belief that nations, such as India and Tanzania, should make common cause to ensure that institutions of global governance address our concerns and meet the aspirations of developing countries.

“Tanzania evokes in India fond memories of its iconic founder-leader, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and his close friendship with India’s founding fathers. In particular, India remembers him for his contribution to South-South Co-operation.”

Currently, India and China are trying hard to come close to African nations in an attempt to increase their influence in the ‘Dark Continent’. Both the Asian powers consider the African countries as a ‘booming market’ for their products.

In an article titled ‘New Deals in the Developing World’ and published in the March-April 2008 issue of ‘Foreign Affairs’, the Economic Adviser (Africa Region) at the World Bank (WB) Harry G Broadman wrote: “Economic activity between Africa and Asia is booming like never before. Business between the two continents is not new: India’s trade with Africa’s eastern and southern regions dates back to at least the days of the Silk Road, and China has been involved on the continent since it started investing there – mostly in infrastructure – during the post-colonial era.”

However, Broadman admitted that the scale and pace of trade and investment flows between Africa and India and China have changed in recent years. He explained that commerce between developing countries has accelerated across the globe – and much of the economic activity is concentrated in a handful of African countries (and that, too, in the extractive industries like oil and mining).

According to the senior WB official, India and China have pursued special strategies in Africa that are about far more than natural resources. They have started concentrating on African middle class families with rising incomes and purchasing power, as they are increasingly buying light manufactured products, household consumer goods and processed foods.

Above all, the two Asian powerhouses are also taking necessary steps to preserve their hegemony in Africa.