African economic delegation visiting India

New Delhi, Oct 9 (UNI) The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the single largest economic grouping in Africa with a membership of 20 countries, has identified India as its strategic partner to assist it in its ambitious development programme.

A 12-member high-level delegation from COMESA, led by current Chairman of the COMESA Council of Ministers, Mitali Kabanda Portais, Minister of Industries, Commerce and Investment, Tourism and Cooperation, Republic of Rwanda, is currently in India for discussions with Indian leaders and industrialists.

The delegation, which arived here on October four, held official-level delegation talks with officials from various ministries led by Secretary, External Affairs Ministry N Ravi, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said today.

This was followed by ministerial-level meeting. Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, chaired the meeting.

COMESA--with 405 million people encompassing 20 countries stretching from Egypt and Libya, to Zambia, to Mauritius and Seychelles--is the single largest economic grouping in Africa.

The organisation has set ambitious goals to achieve economic integration through development of vital sectors like Agriculture and irrigation, mining, infrastructural inputs like rail, road, water linkages and power.

They are also moving towards forming a common market, a customs union and other steps to create a truly integrated regional grouping.

COMESA has had linkages with developed countries to help it achieve its goals. However, lately it has expressed dissatisfaction at the conditionalties imposed that tend to slow down the whole process.

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