Thaindian News

Addis Ababa, May 24 (IANS) Following are what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said were “initiatives” that India was prepared to take as part of its “emerging partnership” with Africa, a region which he said was poised to become a “major growth pole for the world economy”:

* $5 billion for the next three years under lines of creidt for Africa to help meet its development goals;

* An additional $700 million to establish new institutions and training programmes;

* Support the development of a a new Ethio-Djibouti Railway line worth $300 million under the line of credit;

* Establish an India-Africa Virtual University to meet the demand in Africa for higher studies in Indian institutions; 10,000 new scholarships will be available to African students at this proposed university;

* Establish an India-Africa Food Processing Cluster;

* Establish an India-Africa Integrated Textiles Cluster;

* Establish an India-Africa Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting;

* Establish an India-Africa University for Life and Earth Sciences;

* Establish an India-Africa Institute for Agriculture and Rural Development;

* Help set up more soil, water and tissue testing laboratories, regional farm science centres, seed production-cum-demonstrations centres and material testing laboratories for highways regionally;

* More English language training, information technology, entrepreneurship development and vocational training institutes bilaterally;

* More scholarships for African students under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, taking total scholarships to 22,000 for the next three years;

* Help set up an India-Africa Business Council;

* India will contribute $2 million to the African Union Mission in Somalia; and

* Increase the access of African airlines to Indian cities.