India Japan's plan for Africa

While China has been able to attract all global powers towards its OBOR initiative, this increases tensions for India from various viewpoints. Japan also faces similar fate as India in terms of relations with China (Senkaku Islands dispute) and a foe’s foe is a friend. Let the issue develop further and we will discuss it in detail once some op-eds come up related to it.
From UPSC perspective, following things are important:
Prelims level:  Asia Africa Growth Corridor, Mombasa port ☞ (Mark it on map and note related geographical features)
Mains level: India Africa relations. Also try to explore them from the prism of China and Japan involvement in African subcontinent and what it means for India. India Japan relations. India and Japan have been partners for a long time and Japan has provided assistance to India in multiple fields.
 News:
India and Japan unveiled a vision document for the Asia Africa Growth Corridor, proposed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries last November
Proposal for growth corridor was presented to the Board of Governors of African Development Bank
More details are likely to be firmed up by September in time for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to New Delhi
Different from OBOR:
Unlike China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) project, about which India has raised several concerns, the Asia Africa Growth Corridor is conceived as a more open and inclusive programme that will be based on more consultations and keep people as the centre piece rather than just trade and economic ties
Four key elements:
Enhancing capacity and skills
Building quality infrastructure and connecting institutions
Development and cooperation projects in health, farming, manufacturing and disaster management and
People-to-people partnerships
Important partners in mutual growth:
Corridor will facilitate greater trilateral or triangular cooperation among Japan, India and Africa as a win-win-win
As African countries continue to grow against the background of their abundant resources and growing population, they are becoming important partners of Japan and India with deeper relationships, politically and economically
Greater synergy is expected to emerge between Japan’s technology and capital and India’s strong network and experiences in Africa
Greater cooperation sought:
Japan’s Ambassador also called for greater cooperation between Indian and Japanese firms in furthering Africa’s development
He urged Indian investors to participate in the new economic zone coming up around Kenya’s Mombasa port with Japan’s assistance

for more clickhere

Continental ties

The Hindu

www.facebook.com/Aovious1

Context

India begins the heavy-lifting needed to transform economic partnerships in Africa

What has happened?

The 52nd Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors (the Bank’s highest decision-making body) of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the 43rd Meetings of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund (ADF) officially opened in Ahmedabad, India, on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 with calls for greater cooperation between the Bank and India to help drive Africa’s transformation.

What is AfDB?

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is a regional multilateral development finance institution established to contribute to the economic development and social progress of African countries that are the institution’s Regional Member Countries (RMCs).

Established on:
The AfDB was founded following an agreement signed by member states on _August 14, 1963_, in Khartoum, Sudan, which became effective on September 10, 1964

HQ
The AfDB headquarters is officially in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

The AfDB comprises three entities:

*The African Development Bank (ADB)
*The African Development Fund (ADF)
*The Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF)

Mission of AfDB

AfDB’s mission is to

Help reduce poverty, improve living conditions for Africans and mobilize resources for the continent’s economic and social development

Members

The Bank Group has 80 member countries, comprising 54 regional member countries (RMC) and 26 non-regional member countries (NRMC).

Future cooperation

Maritime cooperation: India is working on a maritime outreach to extend its Sagarmala programme to the southern coastal African countries with ‘blue economies’
Solar connection : India is also building its International Solar Alliance, which Djibouti, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Somalia and Ghana signed on to on the sidelines of the AfDB project

Involving other powers

In its efforts, India has tapped other development partners of Africa, including Japan, which sent a major delegation to the AfDB meeting
It has also turned to the United States, with which it has developed dialogues in fields such as peacekeeping training and agricultural support, to work with African countries
It is significant that during the recent inter-governmental consultations between India and Germany, both countries brought in their Africa experts to discuss possible cooperation in developmental programs in that continent

Conclusion

At a time when China is showcasing its Belt and Road Initiative as the “project of the century” and also bolstering its position as Africa’s largest donor, a coalition of like-minded countries such as the one India is putting together could provide an effective way to ensure more equitable and transparent development aid to Africa.

(This is imp topic related to India Africa relation for IAS /KAS mains GS under IR)