INTERVIEW H.E.MR.ANAND SHARMA , HON. MINISTER OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TO CAPITAL NEWS WEEKLY.

The Republic of India is a nation that has displayed by stance and practice, its profound commitment to strengthen ties with Africa. India has stood by Africa throughout the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles and is currently continuing that solidarity by expanding trade and development co-operation with Africa on an unprecedented scale.
India has refocused its African policy of late and driving this new India-Africa partnership is a man whose credentials and experience make him the ideal person for the job. H.E. Mr. Anand Sharma is India's dynamic Minister of State for External Affairs. He was here in Addis to attend the 10th A.U. Summit upon which Capital's Teguest Yilma and Abiy Demilew met and posed topical questions to India's top diplomat. Excerpts of the wide ranging interview follow:

The Essence of Society

Capital: It's been 25 years since the 1985 New Delhi, Non-Aligned Youth Conference was held and in fact, you are highly credited with its organization. A quarter of a century on, remind us please of the perspective of that era, including on whether your generation's convictions and goals have or haven't been met. Also, do recount your early involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle.
H.E. Mr. Anand Sharma: The Non Aligned Youth Conference was held in a year when the world was observing the International Year of the Youth, and the problems of the younger generation, regarding their access to economic and employment opportunities and good education, were attracting the attention of the younger leadership of that period.
At the same time the conference as such underscored the significance of the south-south cooperation among the developing countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean which have emerged from colonialism. There were unfinished agendas from 1985 and that was the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and the decolonization of Namibia.
We are very happy that the younger generation has come forward especially in the non-alliance countries and beyond that, establishing strong relationship in the anti-apartheid movements. South Africa has been a free and a truly multi-racial democracy for almost 14 years now. Namibia was freed in 1990. These collective achievements stand out for the leadership of the non-alliance countries and also for India and Africa as such.
However, achieving all of the objectives may be impossible. So it is better to highlight what the aspiration of the younger generation's were: to contribute by being party to the decision making processes and ensuring that their problems do get proper attention by policy makers. To that extent I think we have been successful.
But it is a very vast agenda when we talk in the current context - the 21st century's first decade - there are other problems the world faces involving the youth. So although we are satisfied with what we have been able to achieve in 1985, our missions and tasks have not been all completed.
There are new issues and challenges in the civil societies of today. That is what we want to talk about today and it is the young who are the stakeholders in the 21st century, because they are the ones who are going to lead whether in India, Africa, or Ethiopia.

Capital: How different are the challenges today? Don't we still face the same problems of poverty, hunger, education, employment, etc…?
A. Sharma: Yes, those issues remain and in fact, they prevail even before our respective independence. There are tens of millions of people who go to bed hungry. Hunger is claiming more lives in sub Saharan Africa than even HIV/AIDS or malaria.
India is today one of the fastest growing economies (9%+), and one can see how much people's entrepreneurship and creativity has been unleashed, and the way India is intensifying and deepening its engagement especially with Africa but also with the established and emerging powers of the world. Still, we have large numbers of people who need care from the government and intervention through policies which can ensure that the process of growth is inclusive and sustainable and reaches out to the vulnerable and weakest sectors.
Having said that, for the younger generation of today the challenge is ensuring health security and education, which are the most important tools of empowerment. Again, education is what India is trying to engage with Africa in a big way.
People's empowerment and education and of course, total non-violence were the weapons Mahatma Gandhi used to resist offense and discrimination. It was Gandhi who first had spoken of environment and climate change as he has spoken of poverty and hunger. Gandhi was ahead of his time with regards to climate change, but more than a century later, those issues remain.
These three issues therefore, are very clearly interlinked: health, food security and climate change and are the current challenges and pandemics that are transnational - not confined to any country or border. No country of the world can live in comfort that they are insulated. So that's why I say issues have changed.

Capital: You were elected to parliament - a house representing one-sixth of humanity, when you were only 31 years of age. What thoughts would you share with young Ethiopians of today, on how to affect change by engaging in the political system?
A. Sharma: It is important to first identify those issues that concern the young and agitate their minds, and those who take leadership positions in the political mainstream movements should be sincere in articulating those concerns and help in the formation of policies that benefit the youth and children.
This is because they are the true essence of any society and what has to be ensured is the access of proper means to sustainable education and economic opportunities. At the same time, youth leaders have a duty to the larger community of humankind. Therefore, the youth also must work towards sensitizing global opinion and mobilize support for conflict resolution, sustainable development, for inclusive growth processes and for peace because that perhaps is the only way forward for the world today.

Capital: What is the overall direction of Indian foreign policy and also in regards to Africa, particularly Ethiopia?
A. Sharma: India has been for decades a positive friend and partner of Africa. We are committed to share our development experiences, such as the Green Revolution which ensured food security for our people, in technology and with our resources.
There is a deepening engagement with Ethiopia, a country with whom we have always had a very good political relationship but also a civilizational link which pre-dates India's independence in the present context.
There are also the institutional linkages of universities, of super-specialty hospitals and many other aspects…
The priority areas of our engagements are in agriculture, food security, generic medicines - where India has contributed in a big way in terms of breaking the suffocating stranglehold of multinationals on life saving medicines and ensuring that they are accessible at affordable prices. I am referring to ARVs, anti-tuberculosis and anti-malaria drugs, among others. To provide an example, ARVs used to cost US$12,000 per annum per patient before Indian generics entered the market and brought this down to below US$500. This in itself is a very strong statement of commitment and cooperation.
In Ethiopia, numerous Indian companies are producing medicines and ARVs as well as drugs for tuberculosis and malaria, through joint ventures - Cadilla Ethiopia is one such joint venture.
Another area is ICT, where India's commitment has been in capacity building and human resource development. We have a dedicated program called Itech which is a technical and economic program through which in the last few decades tens of thousands of African students have come for education in our institutions for professional courses through Indian scholarship schemes. India has trained about 40,000 African students so far. The government has spent more than $1.5 billion to expand this program further.
Another example of Indian and African partnership cooperation is the pan African e-network project, a dedicated satellite feature that was announced by our former President when he was visiting Africa in 2004. It has since been operational here in Ethiopia. There will also be a regional hub in Senegal. In Ethiopia it has already linked five major universities with twelve universities in India. With regards to the super specialty hospitals - five here in Africa (in different countries) link with the twelve super specialty hospitals in India.
In addition there will be one hospital plus one educational centre or institution in each of the 53 countries in Africa. This has been a revolutionary step to help Africa bridge the digital divide and also for tele-medicine and tele-education.
With regards to the private sector, like the public sector, India is a partner in terms of capacity building, utilization of local resources, generating capital and employment as well as value addition, as we are fully committed to the development and industrialization of Africa.

Capital: You are now organizing the India-Africa Partnership Summit in April this year. What are the main objectives of this historic summit?
A. Sharma: The AU and India have been working on the format of the summit. I have extended official invitations from my PM to the Chairperson of AU Commission, Prof. A. O. Konare, Ethiopian PM Meles Zenawi, and the President of the AU - the President of Ghana, John A. Kufuor. And I'll be conferring with Heads of State and Ministers, regional economic communities, the five founding members of NEPAD...
The goal of India is partnership in multi-sectoral priority areas in which we will engage. These include agriculture, food security, health, infrastructure development, science and technology, generics, capacity building and industrialization. We are already covering these areas, but we will examine how we can give further impetus and crystallize this engagement so that we work together and help Africa to get a larger share in world trade, as the world economic architecture is changing, and to have more voice in determining international regimes - i.e in negotiations with WTO and multilateral organizations so that issue vital to developing countries are articulated effectively in organizations of more representative characters.

Capital: What are the geo-political spheres of co-operation that India and Ethiopia collaborate on currently and what are the prospects for this robust bilateral relationship?
A. Sharma: The prospects are excellent because of a common bond of mutual respect and rich people to people contacts. India and Ethiopia, as well as all of Africa have historical relationships with special ties that are deeply rooted in our shared history. For India to come forward today is not as if India is embarking on a journey of discovery in Africa as the relationship has lasted from antiquity.

Capital: What is your gut feeling about Ethiopia? Sir, with all due respect I must request you to be as undiplomatic as you can be when you answer this. I ask this due to your extensive international experience in literally dozens of developing and emerging economies.
A. Sharma: I feel very positive because the priorities of your Prime Minister are very clear. He is very keen on creating institutions of excellence besides of course, tele-education, tele-medicine and distance learning. He would like to see a centre of excellence where young Ethiopians can be trained to become leaders not only for the society where they are in but to aspire as world leaders in various spheres. In my experience, when the leadership is transparent and committed, it is always a very encouraging sign.
Another area is the economic cooperation in the various partnership projects in which Ethiopia already has attracted a significant component of Indian investment amounting to over US 1.1 billion. All indications are it's bound to expand further. In general I believe the future for Ethiopia is bright with promise.

Capital: There has been much talk, mostly rhetorical, of the need for the U.N. to undergo structural reform including, to the all powerful Security Council, which is regarded by many countries, including India, of not being representative of global reality. How can India galvanize more and sustained international support for its quest to be given a deserved permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council? (We would also recall the statement of British P.M. Gordon Brown during his recent India visit)
A. Sharma: It is India's considered view that the UN, which is the only multilateral organization in which all states are present, makes decisions, and resolutions that do impeach regions and states throughout the world.
Therefore, it is important that the UN undergoes a comprehensive reform and democratize all its structures including the Security Council. The Security Council in its present composition symbolizes a frozen world order that emerged after the Second World War, when the membership of the UN was not even one-third of that of today. The overwhelming majority of UN member states, including India, emerged from subjugation and colonialism in later decades.
The Security Council must reflect the contemporary realities of the 21st century, and India being the largest democracy on the planet, where 17% of the world population is found, to request to be included in the decision making processes, along with the representative countries of Africa and Latin America, is a rightful claim.
At present, Africa and Latin America are not represented so it is not the position of India alone. That is why we work closely with our friends in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Capital: Would you be kind enough to describe how you became involved in various activities in regard to disabilities, especially autism?
A. Sharma: One has to have empathy for those who have special needs and require care and support. The inclination has been present throughout our political activism when we were taking up causes, whether it be the anti-apartheid struggle or other related issues as ultimately it was all about the underprivileged and underpowered.
As for activism in disability issues, I became sensitized and better informed on autism because my younger son is autistic and I feel that it is important for parents to not only accept but be assertive and speak out, so that the society as such gets sensitized and also works in ensuring their human rights and their dignity.
I also feel that that is what has motivated me to work in creating an enduring institution that will help in advocacy, research, and training and also provide some measure of support both to the persons who are afflicted with disabilities but also to their families and parents.