India considers the development of ties with African countries to be one of the main priorities, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with a local media on the eve of the G20 summit, which will be held in New Delhi.
"Africa is a top priority for us, even within the G20. One of the first things we did during our G20 Presidency was to hold the Voice of the Global South summit, which had enthusiastic participation from Africa," Modi noted.
He noted that India and Africa have thousands of years of cultural and trade ties, as well as a common history of movements against colonialism.
"Our affinity to Africa is natural. We have had millennia-old cultural and commerce ties with Africa. We have a shared history of movements against colonialism. As a youthful and aspirational nation ourselves, we also relate to the people of Africa and their aspirations," the prime minister added.
Moreover, Modi emphasized the importance of representation of all voices on the international scene and the necessity to abandon "a purely utilitarian worldview."
"We believe that no plan for the future of the planet can be successful without the representation and recognition of all voices. There is a need to come out of a purely utilitarian worldview," the head of the Indian government stressed.
On August 27, Modi called for the African Union (AU), a continental organization consisting of 55 states which collectively had a $3 trillion GDP last year, to be made a G20 member. Currently, the African continent is represented in the organization only by South Africa.
Further evidence of the importance of Africa in India's foreign policy is that in late June, the country began strategic cooperation with Egypt. An agreement with Cairo was signed n the realization of joint projects in several fields, including the defense industry.