India-Africa partnership will be message of stability in turbulent world: S Jaishankar

New Delhi: As the world navigates through complex geopolitical challenges, the India-Africa partnership assumes particular significance, and it will be a message of "stability" and "reliability" in a turbulent and uncertain world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

Addressing a gathering at the unveiling of the logo, theme and website for the upcoming India-Africa Forum Summit-IV, Jaishankar also asserted that together, India and Africa are not just development partners, but also "partners in shaping a better world".

His comments come in the backdrop of multiple conflicts in various parts of the world, including the one in West Asia that has stretched for more than 50 days with global ramifications.

The logo for the upcoming summit features a lion, superimposed on an image depicting interlocked maps of India and Africa.

It carries the theme 'Enduring Partnership Shared Vision' and the date of the summit, May 28-31.

Jaishankar said the upcoming summit presents a "unique opportunity" to further "deepen our engagement".

It will offer a platform to shape the next phase of the partnership, "one that is more ambitious, more inclusive and more future-oriented".

"As the world navigates through complex geopolitical and geoecomic challenges, our partnership assumes particular significance.

"It will be a message of stability in a turbulent world, of reliability in an uncertain one, and of solidarity in difficult times," Jaishankar said.

"Together, India and Africa are not just development partners, but also partners in shaping a better world," he asserted.

The event was attended by several ambassadors and diplomats from various African countries.

Jaishankar also underlined that India has expanded its diplomatic footprint in Africa in recent years by opening 17 new missions across the continent, taking the number of Indian missions in Africa to 46.

He emphasised that Africa occupies a "central place" in India's foreign policy today, and New Delhi's engagement with it is guided by a clear vision, rooted in the principle of equality, and of mutual respect and shared progress.

"We gather here to mark the next chapter in the enduring partnership between India and Africa through the India-Africa Forum Summit framework," he said.

The India-Africa relationship is rooted in "our civilisational linkages", nurtured over centuries through cultural exchanges and human interactions, the external affairs minister said.

"Our bonds were further strengthened as India stood in solidarity with the African nations in their struggle against colonialism," he added.

Underlining that the story of India's freedom struggle is also closely linked with Africa, he said, "Our shared history of struggle, solidarity, resilience and aspirations continues to shape our partnership."

The minister underscored that the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and Africa's Agenda 2063 are complementary roadmaps towards prosperity and progress through sustainable growth and inclusive development.

Jaishankar also said that the engagement between India and Africa has grown across key pillars with numerous high-level political interactions, with India consistently supporting Africa's rightful place in global governance.

A "seminal step" in that direction was the inclusion of the African Union in G20 during India's presidency of the grouping in 2023, the minister said.

"It reflected our firm belief that the voices of the Global South must shape global governance in times to come," he added.

Jaishankar also asserted that India has placed development cooperation and capacity building programmes at the "core of our partnership".

Defence, security and maritime cooperation play an important role in the engagement between the two sides, driven by the vision of MAHASAGAR to ensure stability in the Indian Ocean Region and safer sea lanes.