Addisababa: India and Africa cannot continue to be sidelined in global decision-making, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Friday as he pressed for comprehensive reforms to the UN Security Council to ensure a fairer and more democratic international governance structure.
Speaking at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa, Jaishankar asserted that the existing global architecture fails to adequately represent or effectively serve the interests of both India and Africa, while blaming unnamed actors for stalling progress. He noted that the current Council suffers from interconnected flaws in both representation and delivery.
Advocating for a more balanced international order, Jaishankar maintained that Africa must secure fair representation across both permanent and non-permanent categories of the Security Council. The Council currently comprises five permanent veto-holding members alongside ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. He also highlighted India's successful push during its 2023 G20 presidency to grant the African Union permanent membership in the bloc.
Jaishankar arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday from Cote d’Ivoire, concluding a three-nation African tour that also included Ghana. Reflecting on local history, he noted that Ethiopia's historic triumph at Adwa inspired anti-colonial movements globally and aligned with India's own freedom struggle centered on human dignity and sovereignty.
Tracing centuries-old historical connections facilitated by the Indian Ocean, Jaishankar suggested that contemporary ties must advance beyond traditional solidarity. He pointed to India's 2047 development goals and Africa's Agenda 2063 as mutually supportive frameworks focused on infrastructure, technology, and sustainable growth, while cautioning against market exploitation and protectionism.
Highlighting economic ties, Jaishankar noted that bilateral trade between India and Africa is approaching 100 billion US dollars, making India the continent's fourth-largest trading partner. He pointed to over 220 completed development projects worth approximately 4.5 billion US dollars across Africa, spanning sectors such as power generation, water management, railways, and public infrastructure.
Urging closer collaboration on food security amid global supply disruptions, Jaishankar emphasized that future partnerships should prioritize local capability building over dependency, encouraging Indian enterprises to invest further in African markets to foster domestic employment and industrial growth.