By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Pretoria: The special relationship that India has with South Africa has been moulded by history, a shared vision, and participation in the struggle against oppression and injustice and the quest now for a better world, Indian High Commissioner Rajiv Bhatia said here Saturday.
Bhatia was speaking at an Independence Day reception at the Indian High Commission here for local and expatriate Indians, including several dignitaries.
“In this context, we notice considerable affinity with our host country,” Bhatia said.
“We rejoice in South Africa’s continuing success in democratic governance, its achievements in the field of socio-economic development, and the gains of its dynamic foreign policy.”
Bhatia listed some of the successes of the relationship through a long series of interactions.
“Two visits by our prime minister and three other VVIP visits from India have been reciprocated by three presidential visits from South Africa. Scores of visits by ministers, senior officials, business leaders, cultural troupes, academics and others have taken our dialogue and cooperation to a new level.
“High voltage promotion of business and cultural ties have been a hallmark of the recent period. Our outreach programmes concerning South African universities, think tanks, media, business and other stakeholders in the civil society, have strengthened people-to-people contacts.”
Bhatia also lauded the staff of the three Indian missions in South Africa for their efforts in sustaining dialogue with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) as an important dimension of India’s public diplomacy in South Africa.
“In the backdrop of a successful general election and its decisive outcome as well as our economy’s proven resilience to withstand effects of global recession, the mood in the country is upbeat,” Bhatia told the audience.
“The world notes and appreciates the essential features of the Indian polity: unity in diversity; faith in secularism, tolerance and pluralism; adherence to democracy; commitment to faster economic growth that is inclusive; and a sustained focus on India’s global role through the pursuit of an enlightened foreign policy.”
Bhatia said although India could feel justifiably proud of what had been achieved so far, its leaders were also conscious of the many peaks that needed to be scaled for achieving the country’s goals fully.
By Fakir Hassen
Pretoria, Aug 15 (IANS) The special relationship that India has with South Africa has been moulded by history, a shared vision, and participation in the struggle against oppression and injustice and the quest now for a better world, Indian High Commissioner Rajiv Bhatia said here Saturday.
Bhatia was speaking at an Independence Day reception at the Indian High Commission here for local and expatriate Indians, including several dignitaries.
“In this context, we notice considerable affinity with our host country,” Bhatia said.
“We rejoice in South Africa’s continuing success in democratic governance, its achievements in the field of socio-economic development, and the gains of its dynamic foreign policy.”
Bhatia listed some of the successes of the relationship through a long series of interactions.
“Two visits by our prime minister and three other VVIP visits from India have been reciprocated by three presidential visits from South Africa. Scores of visits by ministers, senior officials, business leaders, cultural troupes, academics and others have taken our dialogue and cooperation to a new level.
“High voltage promotion of business and cultural ties have been a hallmark of the recent period. Our outreach programmes concerning South African universities, think tanks, media, business and other stakeholders in the civil society, have strengthened people-to-people contacts.”
Bhatia also lauded the staff of the three Indian missions in South Africa for their efforts in sustaining dialogue with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) as an important dimension of India’s public diplomacy in South Africa.
“In the backdrop of a successful general election and its decisive outcome as well as our economy’s proven resilience to withstand effects of global recession, the mood in the country is upbeat,” Bhatia told the audience.
“The world notes and appreciates the essential features of the Indian polity: unity in diversity; faith in secularism, tolerance and pluralism; adherence to democracy; commitment to faster economic growth that is inclusive; and a sustained focus on India’s global role through the pursuit of an enlightened foreign policy.”
Bhatia said although India could feel justifiably proud of what had been achieved so far, its leaders were also conscious of the many peaks that needed to be scaled for achieving the country’s goals fully.