India’s Modi to mark Gandhi’s historic South African ride

The call was made on the sidelines of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit to South Africa.

After the delegation level talks, Prime Minister Modi was categorical that the trade ties must be expanded further to realize true potential between the two BRICs nations.

Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his four-nation tour of Africa.

“We have agreed to expand and improve people-to-people contact through promoting tourism between the two countries”, he said.

On trade, Modi said Indian companies have strong business interests in South Africa.

“On worldwide cooperation, South Africa wants to see a meaningful reform of the global governance system to make the system more responsive to the needs of the developing world, especially Africa, and this matter will feature in the discussions”, Presidency spokesperson, Bongani Ngqulunga, said. In the last 10 years, bilateral trade has grown nearly 380 percent.

India is now South Africa’s sixth largest trade partner, with two-way trade reaching $5.3 billion in 2015-16. India was South Africa’s ally during efforts to end white minority rule and was at the forefront of helping to isolate the apartheid government.

“South Africa’s journey has become “tirth yatra” for me, have visited all 3 places, significant in India’s history and that of Mahatma Gandhi”.

He said both India and South Africa face similar challenges and India is ready to join this country in its endavours.

“We have identified new areas for market access including the defense, deep mining, and renewable energy and health sectors”.

He reminded the crowd that after worldwide sanctions were lifted on cricket in South Africa on July 10, 1991, India was the first country that the South African team toured. India and South Africa are also working together to shape priorities of global agenda through IBSA [India, Brazil and South Africa] and BRICS. “I have the pleasure to meet you and it is a pleasure to address you all”, he said.

Describing South Africa as “karambhoomi (land of work)” of Mahatma Gandhi, he said this country “transformed Mohandas into Mahatma”.

He welcomed South Africa’s chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and said that it has emerged as a key platform of engagement for the maritime neighbors connected by the Indian Ocean.

He asked Indian companies to “partner with us”, saying that there was already R62 billion capital expenditure of India in South Africa.

He said that he and South African President Jacob Zuma have agreed to advance the India-South Africa strategic ties across the whole range of social and economic sectors, including trade and investments, development of small and medium businesses, information and communication technologies, and capacity and institution building.