Jaishankar: India Carries Africa in Its Heart, Committed to Building Partnership for Generations

ACCRA (Ghana), Oct 7: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday described India and Africa as long-term partners, stressing the need for closer cooperation on supply chain resilience, strategic autonomy and issues affecting the Global South.

“We carry Africa in our hearts and will build a partnership not just for today but for generations to come,” Jaishankar said in a social media post after addressing officials and students at Ghana’s Foreign Service Institute.

Jaishankar is visiting Ghana as part of a three-nation African tour that will also take him to Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia.

During his visit, Jaishankar held talks with Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa on strengthening bilateral ties in trade, investment, development cooperation, pharmaceuticals, capacity building, defence, technology and people-to-people relations.

The discussions also covered multilateral cooperation and India’s engagement with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Ghana is a founding member.

Ablakwa said India-Ghana relations had been elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Ghana in 2025.

Jaishankar also called on Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi. He said the two sides discussed the momentum in bilateral relations following Modi’s landmark visit and ways to expand cooperation across various sectors.

During the meetings, India and Ghana exchanged two Memoranda of Understanding. One was between the Zoological Survey of India and the University of Ghana covering academic cooperation, scientific research and capacity building. The other involved the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Ghana’s CSIR-Crops Research Institute for collaboration in agricultural research and education.

Addressing the Foreign Service Institute, Jaishankar spoke about India’s economic progress in infrastructure, digital technology, manufacturing and entrepreneurship, saying the transformation was strengthening the country’s role as an engine of global growth.

He said diplomacy today must manage competition without allowing it to turn into confrontation while encouraging cooperation despite differences in national interests.

Jaishankar linked national security with resilient supply chains, technological strength and domestic capacity to produce essential goods. He said India supports self-reliance in critical sectors while remaining committed to cooperation with international partners.

The minister also highlighted India’s digital ecosystem and offered to share its experience with African nations. He stressed the importance of turning the continent’s young population into skilled, productive and empowered citizens.

Supply security for fuel, food, fertilisers and finance was another key issue highlighted by Jaishankar, along with the Global South’s right to industrialise and pursue its own development priorities.

He said India’s foreign policy was guided by strategic autonomy and that partnerships should increase a country’s choices rather than limit them.

Jaishankar also underlined India’s efforts to strengthen the Global South’s representation, pointing to the African Union’s inclusion in the G20 during India’s presidency as an important example.

Ghana’s growing importance in Africa also adds significance to the visit, as the country is scheduled to assume the African Union chairmanship in 2027.

Jaishankar later interacted with members of the Indian community in Accra and praised their contribution to strengthening ties between the two countries. He said India is regarded in Ghana as a dependable and effective partner.