Guinea becomes new member of International Solar Alliance

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) In tune with India's growing engagements with Africa, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a meeting with Guinea's Foreign Minister, Mamady Toure, during the course of which the latter handed over his country's instrument accession to the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA).

According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, Sushma Swaraj and Toure exchanged views on a broad range of subjects covering bilateral friendship and cooperation.

"Foreign Minister Toure expressed appreciation for India's support for Guinea's economic development," it stated, adding Sushma Swaraj conveyed India's readiness to assist in developmental cooperation including lines of credit and capacity building in Guinea.

"She requested Toure that Guinea may propose new projects for financing through LOC announced during IAFS-III (India Africa Forum Summit-III)."

Toure invited the Indian government and Indian business to participate in the Donors/Investors Conference to be held at Paris in third week of November 2017.

External Affairs Minister also welcomed ratification of the framework agreement on the ISA by Guinea and extended an invitation to Guinea to attend the summit level meeting of founder members of ISA in New Delhi.

The ISA, launched at the UN Conference of Parties (CoP) climate summit in Paris on November 30, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande, is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

Bilateral trade between India and Guinea stood at $634.15 million in 2016-17. Major Indian exports include cereals (rice), drugs and pharmaceuticals, textile, transport equipment, paints and chemicals, iron and steel, and construction equipment. Major Indian imports from that west African nation include pearls, stones and jewellery, mineral fuels and bitumen, cashew, scrap metals, and aluminum.

India has been increasing its engagement with Africa, including through a series of high level visits in the last two years -- by President Ram Nath Kovind, then President Pranab Mukherjee, then Vice President Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. New Delhi hosted the India Africa Forum Summit in October 2015 that saw all 54 African nations participating.

Earlier this year, India hosted the annual meeting of African Development Bank.