Liberia’s relations with India are said to leapfrog soon with the planned opening of a full-fledged Indian embassy in Monrovia in the near future, in implementation of an announcement made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra D. Modi, according to www,nerendramodi.in this according to veteran Indian diplomats who have focused their attention on Indo-African relations.
As per of a standard procedure, a junior diplomat with a small contingent of staff will be sent first to Monrovia by New Delhi to establish a working mission to start functioning to be followed by the appointment of an Ambassador after some time.
The person nominated to be Ambassador arrives after the concurrence of Liberian government ,called ‘Agreement in diplomatic parlance, received, though no firm date has been set yet, it is expected to be sooner rather than later, given the close attention India pays these days to its relations with West Africa. Members of the Indian community in Liberia is naturally excited with this development.
Prime Minister of India in its 70 years of independence has done so much for promoting Africa’s relations with India as the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi did in the last five years. Under his direction, Afro-Indian relations have blossomed in all areas in general and economic relations in particular. Modi’s return to power for a second term in May this year with an enhanced majority defying customary anti-incumbency tide of democratic politics has augured well for India’s relations with Africa, giving continued focus.
Modi cabinet’s announcement in 2018 that resident Indian missions would be opened in 18 African countries was widely welcomed, the eighteen includes Liberia. The budget announced in the Indian Parliament this month for the current financial year is believed to have some provision for the new embassies.
With the functioning of an Indian embassy in Monrovia, the Liberia-India relations are expected to see a qualitative change with a quantum jump in economic relations with Indian investment expected to flow in a wide range of sectors, notably agriculture, food processing and consumer goods and in its wake bringing in capital ,entrepreneurship and technology, generating employment, imparting training to Liberian youth, raising the revenues of the state and enhancing the overall economic profile of the country in ECOWAS community. There will be a boost to people to people contacts.
Both Liberia and India have a lot in common that includes pluralism, democracy, a robust parliamentary tradition, rule of law, fundamental freedoms, secular traditions, independent media and judiciary, constitutional safeguards and liberal use of English as a medium of communication. Opening an Indian mission in Monrovia will help synergies these commonalities and lay a firm foundation for enduring bonds of friendship and people- to -people contacts.
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