Africans Are Our Guests, Attacks on Them Despicable: Hamid Ansari

The Indian Vice President arrived in Morocco on Tuesday to focus on “capacity building and cultural exchange.”

Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari (Photo: PTI)

Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari arrived in the Moroccan capital of Rabat on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to the country. Ansari is leading a large delegation of government officials and parliamentarians. This is the first visit by an Indian Vice President in 50 years to Morocco and Tunisia.

Interacting with reporters en route, Ansari said:

With Morocco, we have a substantive relationship due to one product – phosphate – which is very important for us. Indian investment is also there in Morocco in this sector...Our relations (with Africa) are old. We will discover our space in more areas including IT and tele-medicine. If we get a foothold in Morocco, we can expand our business.

The Vice President also condemned the string of assaults on African nationals in India calling them despicable. He went on say they are “our guests” and should be looked after in the wake of the “violation of law and order.”

Interacting with media on board his aircraft before arriving in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, Ansari said, “Attack on anyone, whether own person or guest, is despicable.”

“Nobody or no government can say anything different... Condemning all types of violence,” he said.

Terrorism, UN Security Council expansion and investments in private sector, as well as ways to strengthen outreach to Africa and regional matters, focusing on “capacity building and cultural exchange,” are the issues that will be discussed during the visit.

(With agency inputs.)