21st century would not be Asia's alone but belong to Africa also: Jaitley

Gandhinagar

Addressing the opening ceremony of African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meeting, Mr Jaitley said, "I stand here with conviction that the 21st century would not be Asia's alone but would belong to both Asia and Africa."Highlighting the similarities between the AfDB's 'High 5' agenda, the Finance Minister said it is not different from the Indian policy.AfDB has adopted a strategy called "High 5s", which focuses on five major developmental priorities that include agriculture, energy, industrialisation, regional connectivity and improved quality of life through access to social and economic opportunities.Further, he vouched for stronger bilateral relations between India and African nations and said, "Africa is approaching an exciting time. India and Africa should navigate through this journey together and shape their common future."He added that India was committed to Africa's development and this commitment was reflected in "continued high-level political engagement", including the three India Africa Summits.