TEAM- 9
Indian participation in Africa, both from public and private sector entities, have been increasing over the last two decades and furthermore it has reached heights after the formation of TEAM-9 (Techno-Economic Approach for Africa–India Movement ) in 2004, for the sole purpose of strengthening the relationship between Indian and francophone Africa. The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India signed the TEAM-9 MoU with the Foreign Ministers of selected Eight West African countries – Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana & Guinea Bissau on 1st March, 2004 and India’s then Hon’ble Prime Minister Bharat Ratna A.B Vajpayee sanctioned a credit line of USD 500 million for the economic, infra-structural and social sector projects in the above countries, under the TEAM-9 initiative.
Mr. G. Rathinavelu and Mr. Pierre Atepa Goudiaby are the Initiators of TEAM- 9 and the Co-Founders of the Africa India Economic Foundation.
“I should congratulate Mr. G. Rathinavelu from India and Mr. Atepa Goudiaby from Senegal, the two private sector people who have been pushing for this. They got the right response from the political authorities. So, we are extremely hopeful, after this meeting, that this will be different, that this will yield the outcomes that we are expecting and both India and Africa will strongly benefit from the TEAM-9 spirit.”
H.E Mr. CHEIKH TIDIANE GADIO
-FOREIGN MINISTER OF SENEGAL
