21st century belongs to Asia and Africa, says FM Arun Jaitley

Gandhinagar, May 23

The 21st century will not only belong to Asia but also to Africa, hence India and Africa should navigate the journey together to shape their common future, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.

Addressing the 52nd annual meeting of the African Development Bank here, Jaitley said while India had been a bright spot amongst the major economies amid challenging times, Africa too, had done well over the past few years.

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“I stand here with conviction that the 21st century would not be Asia’s alone but would belong to both Asia and Africa,” he said.

Jaitley said the African continent was transforming rapidly and amidst tough global scenario, its economy grew by 2.2 per cent in 2016 and was expected to grow by 3.4 per cent in 2017.

“Africa is approaching an exciting time. India and Africa should navigate through this journey together and shape their common future,” Jaitley said.

He added that India was committed to Africa’s development and this commitment was reflected in “continued high-level political engagement”, including the three India-Africa Summits.

“It is no coincidence that our Prime Minister, President and Vice President have together visited 16 African countries in the past.

“There isn’t a single African country which has not been visited by one of my cabinet colleagues,” the Finance Minister added. IANS