New Delhi: In a concerted effort to strengthen ties and collaborate on development initiatives in Africa, the second round of the India-US Dialogue on Africa commenced in Washington DC, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement on Tuesday.

The dialogue, spanning over May 14-15, saw high-level participation from both sides, with the Indian delegation jointly led by Puneet R. Kundal, AS (E&SA), and Sevala N. Mude, AS (C&WA), while the US side was spearheaded by Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

The primary objective of the India-US dialogue on Africa is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and perspectives, with a focus on developing institutional, technical, and bilateral synergies to effectively collaborate on developmental projects and programs in Africa. By leveraging the respective strengths of India and the United States, the dialogue aims to identify key areas of cooperation in alignment with African priorities.

"The India-US dialogue on Africa aims to share ideas and perspectives and explore ways to develop institutional, technical and bilateral synergies to work together in Africa. It also targets identification of developmental projects and programs of cooperation in Africa, leveraging the strengths of India and the US, in accordance with African priorities," the ministry said in a statement.

Notably, this dialogue marks a significant milestone as the first such engagement between India and the US following the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 during India's presidency of the G20. This recognition underscores the growing importance of Africa on the global stage and highlights the commitment of both India and the US to engage meaningfully with the continent.

The United States and India have partnered on development projects in Africa in the areas of education, energy, agriculture, and health. One example of this cooperation is the Feed the Future India Africa Innovation Transfer Platform, which partners with Technoserve to share Indian soil and water management techniques in Kenya and Malawi.

These techniques have helped local communities improve their off-season crop production, provide water for their cattle, and grow additional fodder crops.

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