The Government extended the hand of friendship and cooperation to all the countries of Africa. The Government's approach was to consolidate the gains of almost five decades of close ties of friendship; to intensify bilateral economic and commercial links for mutual benefit; to share developmental experiences as part of India's commitment to South-South Cooperation; and to strengthen institutional linkages with regional and sub-regional groups in Africa.

The traditionally close and privileged relations with Mauritius were further enhanced with the visit to India in August 1996 of Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and that of Prime Minister to Mauritius in February 1997. The meeting of the Indo-Mauritius joint Commission took place in Mauritius in February 1997. As a special gesture, the Government of India agreed to an additional weekly service of Air Mauritius to Delhi on the same terms as the flights already operating between Mauritius and Bombay. Both countries concluded a new Credit Agreement of Rs 10.50 crore (US dollar 3 million) to finance import by Mauritius of capital goods, consultancy services and consumer durable from India. As in the past, Mauritius continued to show solidarity with and understanding of India's positions on various international issues.

A Tourism Agreement was concluded with Seychelles. The Government of India gifted a consignment of rice and medicines as a gesture of support to the people of Scychelles. Emergency relief assistance in the form of rice was also provided to the Comoros.

India continued to value and build upon its historically close relations with Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The visits of Prime Minister of Ethiopia to India in March 1997 and earlier of the Ethiopian Minister for Education in June 1996 provided opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two coun-tries in the fields of education and technical training, water resources management and development of small industries. The private visit to Delhi in December 1996 of the Foreign Minister of Uganda provided a useful opportunity to review developments in their relations. The participation of the Minister of State for Commerce and a team of leading Indian businessmen at the "Made in India" Show organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry in Nairobi in August 1996, the visit to India of a delegation of the Ugandan Manufacturers' Association in November 1996, and the visit of Tanzanian Minister for Communication and Transport in December 1996 were reflective of the heightened interest in and potential for economic and commercial cooperation between India and the countries of East Africa.

India remained concerned at developments in the Great Lakes region and at the threat that continuing civil conflict posed to peace and stability in the region.

India's relations with South Africa were placed on a new footing with the visit of South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki in December 1996. The South African Deputy President's call for a strategic partnership between India and South Africa to resist the imposition of a world order that sought the disempowerment of the developing nations, was reflective of the close identity of views between the two countries on issues that vitally affect the collective interests of developing countries. The visit was preceded by the second meeting of the India-South Africa joint Commis-sion and by other exchanges at ministerial and official levels. South Africa has rapidly emerged as one of India's main trading partner in Africa.

India continued to build upon its close and friendly relations with Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Minister of External Affairs deputed Special Envoys to each of these countries during 1996-97 as a reaffirmation of India's commitment to strengthening cooperation with these countries in a spirit of South-South partnership. During the visit of Prime Minister to Harare for the Summit of the G-15 group in November 1996, a Memorandum of Understanding was concluded on cooperation for the development of small-scale industries in Zimbabwe. The Prime Minister also gifted to the President of Zimbabwe a rural automatic telephone exchange manufactured in India. There was a steady progress in India's cooperation with Zambia, Botswana and Namibia in the area of defense training. The visit to India of President of Namibia Sam Nujoma in February 1997 served to further reinforce the traditional ties of friendship with that country. It was proceeded by the visit of Namibian Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry to India in April 1996. The award to Indian companies of two major contracts in Botswana for the upgradation of airports and of the telecommunication network is indicative of the growing economic and commercial ties between India and the countries of Southern Africa. India's interest in the establishment of a durable peace in Angola was demonstrated by the continuing presence of Indian military personnel in Angola as part of the United Nations Angolan Verification Mission (UNAVEM III).

India's recent opening to the countries of West Africa was further consolidated during 1996-97 with the visits of Special Envoys of the Minister of External Affairs to various West African countries, and progress in bilateral agricultural and rural development projects. Relations with Senegal moved significantly forward with the State visit to India of President of Senegal Abdou Diouf in February 1997. During the visit an agreement on the Establishment of a Joint Commission for Economic, Techni-cal, Political and Cultural Cooperation was concluded. During the G-15 Summit in Harare, the Prime Ministers of India and Senegal also concluded an agreement for the setting up of a vocational training center for entrepreneurship development and small scale industries training in Senegal. The conclusion of a bilateral agreement on 16 May 1996 to establish a Joint Commission with the Central African Republic was demonstrative of India's desire to reach out in a spirit of partnership to hitherto distant countries with whom India shared a common historical experience.

India viewed the presidential elections in Benin, Chad, the Gambia, Ghana and Niger, and arrangements to bring the peace processes in Liberia and Sierra Leone back on course, as positive developments contributing to political stability and economic development of the region. India was also encouraged by the Government of Nigeria's reiteration of its intention to faithfully implement its program of transition to civilian democratic rule. India provided emergency relief assistance in the form of rice and medicines to Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Niger.

During 1996-97, India was engaged in constructing relations of partnership and cooperation with regional organizations. India continued to view the Organization of African Unity (OAU) as embodying the spirit of resurgent Africa and has been fully supportive of the programs and objectives of the OAU since its inception. Minister of Steel and Mines represented India as a guest at the 32nd Summit meeting of the OAU in Yaounde, Cameroon in July 1996 by a delegation led. The Prime Minister of India also addressed a special message to the Summit, in which, as an expression of India's solidarity, he committed India's assistance to the OAU's Peace Fund and to the technical upgradation of the OAU Secretariat. India was an active participant at the partnership meeting of the UNECA at Addis Ababa in April 1996. Special Envoys of the Prime Minister and the Minister of External Affairs were also deputed to represent India at the Summit and ministerial meetings of the SADC in Lesotho in August 1996 and of the ECOWAS in Abuja in July 1996 respectively. India also participated in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) at Abidjan in July 1996.