In this interview with Manish Chand, Tharoor speaks about Africa's pre-eminent place in India's foreign policy dating back to days of anti-apartheid struggle, freedom movements and non-aligned movement. He shares his impressions of his recent visit to Liberia and Ghana (Sept 16-23) that brought to the fore various strands of contemporary India-Africa partnership in areas ranging from capacity building and human resource development to business and infrastructure development.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q) How do you look at India's evolving engagement with Africa? What are key priority areas in India's Africa diplomacy?

A) Our interest in Africa is not new. India was one of the few countries in the late 40s to express its support for Africa's liberation. It was the first country to raise its voice against apartheid in South Africa. Throughout the liberation movements of the Fifties and Sixties, India was on the side of those countries fighting for their freedom. Even if India was not in an economically strong place, whatever little we could afford to give we gave. And that solidarity was tangibly manifested. Today our economy is in a different place and the world is a different place. We feel we can afford to give a little more. We have long-established relations with Africa, both individually with African countries as well as collectively, which has been given a new fillip by the India-Africa Forum summit last year. I have been asked manifestly to express India's commitment to Africa.

Q) You chose Liberia as the first African country to visit after you became minister of state for external affairs in May this year. Any reason why you chose Liberia?

A) There was a long-standing invitation from Liberia. We decided to go to Liberia for two reasons: First, it's the country that has suffered the ravages of a prolonged civil war. Secondly, it's a country we have had a long relationship with. We became independent in 1947. They became independent in 1857. There is a certain symmetry that way. Liberia has recognised India as one of the few independent countries of the global South. Liberia is proud of the fact that it came with India and Egypt to found the non-aligned movement. We wanted to show solidarity with Liberia as it rebuilds from the ashes of civil conflict.

Q) What were the tangible outcomes from Liberia visit. It was the first visit by an Indian minister to Liberia in nearly four decades.

A) It was a very fruitful visit. I had terrific meetings with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (the first elected woman head of state of an African country). During the visit, we (India) offered assistance in the form of lines of credit on concessional terms, as well as a grant-in-aid for education and health projects of $2 million. We also agreed to set up in an Information Technology and Communication Centre of Excellence in Liberia.

There are many potential areas of cooperation. Liberia is very interested in our technology and ICT. We have a particular interest in Liberia's iron ore. Liberia has the second largest deposits of iron ore in the world. Many of these mines have fallen into disuse. The president of Liberia has welcomed India's Tata Group's interests in Liberian iron ore mines. As an English-speaking country, they have asked for India's assistance in training and capacity-building. They have also asked for help in teacher training. Right now, there are 1500 Indians in Liberia. But they are mostly business people. They want Indian teachers to come to Liberia. Many ministers remember being taught by Indian teachers.

Q) Liberia is keen to seek India's help in training in its police force. Did it figure in the discussions?

A) We had extended to them an offer to send 30-40 Liberian police officers to be trained in India and left it to them to determine the level of officers and the kind of training they want. They went even beyond that. They asked us,'Can you train the entire Liberian police force?.” As the training of the Liberian police force is currently a UN responsibility, I told them India would be ready to do so in coordination with the UN mission in that country. They are unhappy that the UN mission has too many nationalities and different systems. They said they will have rather one system. We are looking at the possibilities.

Q) What about your visit to Ghana?

A) When I was in Ghana, I was touched by the extraordinary warmth with which the president of Ghana received me. He told me, ”You are welcome anytime. Ghana is your county. Feel at home.” He warmly appreciated India’s development, calling it a model country. He was also deeply appreciative of the assistance provided by India for the economic development of Ghana and sought greater investment by Indian companies in agriculture, railways and the energy sector. I conveyed the good wishes of Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) to President Atta Mills on centenary birthday celebrations of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.

They are very happy with Kofi Annan Centre for IT excellence which India has helped set up. They have named a road after (India's first prime minister) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The Indian high commissioner's residence in Accra is on No. 1, Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The ambassador's residence is a sign of enduring friendship between India and Ghana. The Ghana president's palace has been built with Indian assistance. It's an amazing piece of architecture.

Q) What makes India's engagement with Africa different from those of other countries?

A) India is a country they (African countries) can relate to vis-a-vis three models, the West, China and India. Our general approach is,'tell us what you need and how we can help you,' rather than going with any agenda. That approach has been warmly welcomed. We do not see ourselves to have come free from the developing country tag yet. We are still developing, but we have recently overcome some of the problems you are facing. Therefore, I tell them: 'our experience might be relevant to them.' That is the spirit in which I talk to you, not like a developed country which is here to shower munificence on them. That message is important to them. And the message is quite clear: We are facing certain problems. You are facing some problems. We feel solidarity with you and we will work along with you and try to develop things. We will be certainly conveying this through our body language and meaningful contacts that Africa matters very much to us.

-- Indo-Asian News Service