African leaders seek more investment from India

New Delhi, Apr 8 (UNI) African leaders today welcomed India's support to Africa's development and its resurgence in the international arena and sought more investment and trade opportunities for allround progress in the 53-nation continent.

Speaking on the inaugural day of the first India-Africa Forum Summit here, the leaders appreciated India's initiatives of support and economic cooperation towards africa, notably the Focus Africa Programme and the TEAM-9 initiative aimed at ehancing wide-ranging cooperation and developing partnerships in areas of human resource development and health.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni stressed on further integratng and strengthening the existing economic bodies.

Describing the Summit as a ''God-given'' opportunity for Africa and India to revive and redefine the relationship for further transformation of societies, he said the he two-day Summit would concretise the existng ties between India and Africa as well as promote future areas for cooperation and development strategies.

Ghana President E J A Kufuor said Africa saw India as a strategic partner and the continent was immensely impressed by the sub-continent's Green Revolution.

India's mastery of ICT and general engineering and her success in small and medium enterprises were useful lessons for Africa.

The Pan-African e-network which woud connect all 53 countries of the African Union (AU), should make a historic, far reaching and comprehensive impact on the general development of the continent, he added.

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