H.E. Mr. Ambassador Mohamed Maliki, Ambassador of the Embassy of The Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of African and Arab Diplomatic Corps, gives his address in Plenary I

Friendship Must Deliver

When H.E. Mr Mohamed Maliki, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to India and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, spoke, candour sharpened the atmosphere. Deep ties are not in question. Implementation is.

He recounted a modest USD 20 million project that languished in procedural delay before being financed elsewhere within weeks. This was not an accusation but structural critique. When delivery falters, partners diversify.

Morocco’s engagement with India — trade expected to exceed USD 4.2 billion — demonstrates potential. Fertilisers from Morocco sustain Indian agriculture. That is partnership operationalised.

Invoking the Kampala principles — sovereignty, capacity building and people-centric growth — he emphasised that principles require systems capable of timely execution.

“Friendship must function at the speed of modern capital.”

H.E. Mr. Isse Abdillahi Assoweh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to India, gives his address at Plenary I
 

Geography As Strategy

H.E. Mr Isse Abdillahi Assoweh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to India, reframed the discussion through maritime logic. He acknowledged India’s support for African Union inclusion in the G20, signalling recognition within global governance.

Then he turned to geography. Djibouti sits at the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, through which nearly 30 percent of global maritime trade transits. Its port complex ranks among Africa’s largest. Free zones allow tax-free storage, light manufacturing and re-export. Its currency, pegged to the US dollar since 1949, offers rare stability.

Integration into COMESA and AGOA frameworks expands access beyond domestic scale. “Use Djibouti not as a market, but as a gateway,” he urged. In a world where supply chains fracture overnight, geography becomes insurance.

Complementarity In Motion

Prof. (Dr.) Rakesh Mohan Joshi of IIFT reinforced the logic of complementarity. India and Africa are not competitors but collaborators. Africa contributes youth and land. India contributes pharmaceutical strength, digital infrastructure and agricultural expertise.

AfCFTA transforms fragmentation into continental scale. India’s digital public stack is replicable. Its poverty reduction trajectory offers instructive lessons in mass transformation. Partnership must now operationalise complementarity with precision and persistence.

AFRICA FIRST, in this opening segment, established its governing thesis: historical affinity provides foundation, but execution determines durability.