Reaching out to Africa, India tonight vowed to remain its trusted partner in working for economic and social empowerment of the people of the continent and helping define the contours of the international order on more egalitarian lines.
Joining ten select non-African partners at the historic golden jubilee Summit of the 54-nation African Union (AU) which opened here today, Vice President Hamid Ansari said India's ties with Africa were anchored in the philosophy of South-South cooperation.
"Our approach is non-intrusive and non-prescriptive, consultative and, above all, responsive to Africa's own assessments of its needs," Ansari, who arrived this morning in Ethiopian capital, told the gathering of top African leaders.
India is among ten select partners of AU which have been invited for the 50th Summit of the grouping. The others are the US, the European Union, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Jamaica, Palestine and the UAE.
Ansari, who was given a ceremonial reception at the Bole Airport on his arrival here, recalled that India's founding fathers believed that its freedom would remain incomplete as long as Africa remained in bondage of colonialism and apartheid.
"History records that India imposed a trade embargo on apartheid South Africa in 1946 and took the lead in placing apartheid on the agenda of the very session of the UN General assembly," he told the Summit on the theme 'Panafricanism and African Renaissance'.
The gathering is being attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese President XI Jingping's special representative, Vice Premier Wang Yang.
The significance of the 50th anniversary of the AU, and its earlier avatar of Organisation of African Unity, lies in two milestone achievements it has to its credit, the end of colonialism in the continent and apartheid in South Africa.
Ansari, who is leading a high-level official delegation, said, "Our partnership with Africa is anchored in the fundamental principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit that should, we hope, serve to redefine the contours of the international order on more egalitarian lines."
The Vice President said on African Renaissance, "India will remain a trusted partner, working with Africa for the economic and social empowerment of its people".
