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top: Task 30, removal of a template duplicated in an infobox, per this discussion

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	~~{{Short description\|1=Diplomatic relations between the Central African Republic and the Republic of India}}~~
	{{Infobox Bilateral relations\|Central African Republic-India\|Central African Republic\|India}}		{{Infobox Bilateral relations\|Central African Republic-India\|Central African Republic\|India}}

>Place Clichy: Copying from Category:Bilateral relations of India to Category:Africa–India relations using Cat-a-lot

2021-06-02T12:30:01Z

Copying from Category:Bilateral relations of India to Category:Africa–India relations using Cat-a-lot

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{{Short description|1=Diplomatic relations between the Central African Republic and the Republic of India}}
{{Infobox Bilateral relations|Central African Republic-India|Central African Republic|India}}

'''Central African Republic–India relations''' refers to the international relations that exist between the [[Central African Republic|Central African Republic (CAR)]] and [[India]]. The Embassy of India in [[Kinshasa]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] is concurrently accredited to CAR. India also maintains an Honorary Consulate General in [[Bangui]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Missions Abroad|url=http://www.mea.gov.in/indian-mission.htm?40/Central_African_Republic|website=Ministry of External Affairs|access-date=10 April 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hony Consulates under Embassy of India, Kinshasa|url=http://eoi.gov.in/kinshasa/?0806?000|website=Embassy of India, Kinshasa|access-date=10 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> CAR has no diplomatic mission in India.

== History ==
The Central African Republic and India signed an agreement to hold Foreign Office Consultations between the two Foreign Ministries on 3 September 2010, and the first such Consultation was held on 17 January 2011 in Bangui. Rajinder Bhagat, Joint Secretary (West Africa), [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|MEA]] led the Indian delegation, while Foreign Minister General [[Antoine Gambi]] headed the CAR side.<ref name="MEA2016" />

Central African Minister of Small & Medium Enterprises, Deputy Minister for Finance, and Adviser to the President of CAR visited India in March 2010 to participate in the 6th [[Confederation of Indian Industry|CII]]-[[Exim Bank (India)|EXIM Bank]] conclave.<ref name="MEA2016" /> Foreign Minister Lt. Gen. Antoine Gambi attended the LDC Foreign Ministers Conference in [[New Delhi]] in February 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/India-joins-hands-with-LDCs-to-seek-global-action-programme/article15451170.ece|title=India joins hands with LDCs to seek global action programme|last=Dikshit|first=Sandeep|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-04-10|language=en}}</ref> Gambi visited India again in February 2011, along with the Minister of Economic Planning and International Cooperation Sylvain Maliko, Minister for Energy Jean Chrysostome Mekonndongo, and Minister for Communications Michel Koyt to attend the 7th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave for India Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi in February–March 2011.<ref name="MEA2012">{{cite web|title=India – Central African Republic Relations|url=http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Central-African-Republic-January-2012.pdf|website=Ministry of External Affairs|access-date=9 April 2017|date=January 2012}}</ref><ref name="MEA2016" />

CAR was the guest country at the 8th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi in March 2012. Central African Prime Minister [[Faustin-Archange Touadéra]] led a high level delegation including 6 Cabinet ministers - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transport, Minister of Energy and Hydraulic, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Commerce, and Minister and Director of Cabinet of President, along with senior officials and members of the Chambers of Commerce of CAR attended the Conclave.<ref name="MEA2016" /> Addressing the Conclave, Touadera stated that his nation was honoured to be the guest country at the Conclave, acknowledged the benefits of the [[Line of credit|lines of credit]] (LoCs) provided by India, and invited Indian companies to get more involved in Africa. The CAR Prime Minister described Inda's growing influence in Africa as "a new eastern wind blowing over our continent".<ref>{{cite web|title=India stayed committed to meeting Africa's tech, investment needs: Preneet Kaur|url=http://www.cii.in/Pressreleases_Detail.aspx?enc=9qlYZBkei5RZg1DwML8l92UFJt6UhDCwaOv5B384BP2Plk9nymz56yxPrM0qzsR1T2RE2CtT7YDyYzGa3qvkNpj+NQnXhIRgZmgKP1nSwJ8=|website=CII|access-date=10 April 2017|language=en|date=19 March 2012}}</ref> Touadera also met Indian Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]].<ref name="MEA2016" /> The CAR Government also invited India to invest in the country specifically in roads, railways, hydro-power and uranium mining.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cricket.yahoo.com/news/central-african-republic-woos-indian-investment-143627769.html|title=Central African Republic woos Indian investment|website=Yahoo! News|access-date=2017-04-10|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://twocircles.net/2012mar19/central_african_republic_woos_indian_investment.html|title=Central African Republic woos Indian investment|website=TwoCircles.net|language=en-US|access-date=2017-04-10}}</ref>

Parfait Anicent Mbay, Second Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophone and Central Africans Abroad, visited Delhi to participate in the 9th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave for India-Africa Project Partnership in March 2013. CAR delegate Gaudeuille Nee Medou Juliene Desiree represented the country at the third [[India–Africa Forum Summit|India-Africa Forum Summit]] in New Delhi in October 2015.<ref name="MEA2016">{{cite web|title=India – Central African Republic Relations|url=http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Bilateral_Briefs_CAR_2016.pdf|website=Ministry of External Affairs|access-date=9 April 2017|date=8 December 2016}}</ref>

== Trade ==
Bilateral trade between the Central African Republic and India is comparatively small as the former is a [[Central African Republic Civil War (2012–2014)|war-torn nation suffering from political instability]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/this-is-indias-trade-footprint-in-africa/|title=Explained: This is India's trade footprint in Africa|date=2015-10-23|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2017-04-10|language=en-US}}</ref> Trade between the two countries grew from US$1.13 million in 2004-05<ref name="MEA2012"/> to US$10 million in 2015–16. India exported $9.17 million worth of goods to CAR, and imported $830,000 in 2015–16.<ref name="MEA2016" />

== Foreign aid ==
CAR and India signed a [[Memorandum of understanding|Memorandum of Understanding]] (MoU) in March 2010 to establish an [[Information technology|Information Technology]] (IT) Centre for Excellence in Bangui. On 3 September 2010, they signed an MoU to establish two learning stations under the Hole-in-Wall Computer Education project.<ref name="MEA2016"/> The two stations were opened on 31 August 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Destination: Republic of Central Africa|url=http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/News18.html|website=Hole-in-the-Wall|access-date=10 April 2017|date=8 September 2011}}</ref> Under the [[Pan-African e-Network project]], India set up tele-education, [[Telemedicine|tele-medicine]] and [[Very important person|VVIP]] connectivity in Bangui.<ref name="MEA2016" />

India extended an LoC of $29.5 million to set up a 400 [[Metric Tonne|MT]]/day cement plant in Bangui. CAR availed a line of credit of $20 million from India for limestone mining for the cement plant in Bangui. The contract for the project was awarded to Indian firm Jaguar Overseas Ltd. In early 2014, however, Jaguar was forced to evacuate its personnel from Bangui due to the instability in the CAR.<ref name="MEA2016" /> Officials from Jaguar Overseas Ltd. and the Exim Bank visited CAR in August 2016 to assess the progress of the project. The plant had almost been complete at the time the Indian workers were evacuated, but had since been damaged by rebels. Jaguar Overseas stated that it was considering options to restart the work.

India provided CAR with a line of credit of $5.5 million to purchase 100 buses, spare parts, and to construct a bus workshop. India supplied CAR with the buses and spare parts, constructed the bus workshop and handed it over to CAR authorities by 2011.<ref name="MEA2012"/> However, the majority of the buses have since been damaged by civil unrest in the country, and {{as of|2016|December|lc=y}}, only two of the 100 buses are in operation. Further, the bus workshop was destroyed by rebels. CAR signed an agreement to receive a line of credit worth $39.69 million to build two hydroelectric projects. However, India has put the agreement on hold as CAR failed to repay its pending dues to Exim Bank for previously issued lines of credit. The CAR Government has requested loan restructuring.<ref name="MEA2016"/>

Citizens of CAR are eligible for scholarships under the [[Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme]] (ITEC) and the [[Indian Council for Cultural Relations]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iccr.gov.in/content/africa-scholarships|title=Africa Scholarships|website=Indian Council for Cultural Relations|language=en|access-date=5 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512210421/http://iccr.gov.in/content/africa-scholarships|archive-date=12 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many Central African women have attended the ITEC training course on [[Solar power|solar electrification]] and [[Rainwater harvesting|rooftop water harvesting]] at [[Barefoot College]] in [[Tilonia]], [[Rajasthan]].<ref name="MEA2016" />

== Indians in the CAR ==
As on 8 December 2016, there are 66 Indians residing in CAR, of whom 45 are employed by the [[United Nations|UN]] peacekeeping mission, [[MINUSCA]]. The rest of the community is primarily involved in trading activities.<ref name="MEA2016" />

On 26 March 2013, two Indians were shot dead and 6 injured when the vehicles they were traveling in were fired upon by [[French Armed Forces|French troops]] patrolling the [[Bangui M'Poko International Airport]]. The three vehicles carrying 15 Indians, as well as some [[Chad]] nationals, had reportedly attempted to enter the airport facility when they were attacked. According to the French military, troops assigned to protect the airport had just been fired upon by an "unknown source" when they spotted the three vehicles attempting to enter the airport. France claimed that the vehicles did not stop even after firing warning shots. Believing that the vehicles were attempting to forcibly enter the airport, French troops then intervened in what they described as a "particularly confusing situation" and opened fire on the vehicles. The injured were then transported to a French military hospital in Chad.

French President [[François Hollande]] expressed distress at the death of innocents, as well as his regret and condolences over the killings. The French President promised to investigate the incident, and assured that the injured would receive treatment from French medical teams. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Hollande stated that he had directed French troops in CAR to ensure the safety of the nearly 100 Indians in the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=France regrets killing of two Indians by its troops in Central African Republic|url=http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/france-regrets-killing-of-two-indians-by-its-troops-in-central-african-republic-517341|website=NDTV|access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dikshit|first1=Sandeep|title=Ensure Indians' safety in Central African Republic: Manmohan|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/ensure-indians-safety-in-central-african-republic-manmohan/article4548571.ece|website=The Hindu|access-date=10 April 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Roche|first1=Elizabeth|title=France investigates shooting of 2 Indians in Central African Republic|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/fARKAOpFd3DKZeGpg6YvLO/French-troops-kill-two-Indians-in-Central-African-Republic.html|website=Mint|access-date=10 April 2017|date=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Guha|first1=Romit|title=India PM Distressed Over Central African Republic Killings|url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324789504578383840566923494|website=Wall Street Journal|access-date=10 April 2017|date=26 March 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Foreign relations of the Central African Republic}}
{{Foreign relations of India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Central African Republic-India relations}}
[[Category:Bilateral relations of India]]
[[Category:Africa–India relations]]
[[Category:Bilateral relations of the Central African Republic]]

Central African Republic–India relations - Revision history

imported>PrimeBOT: /* top */Task 30, removal of a template duplicated in an infobox, per this discussion

>Place Clichy: Copying from Category:Bilateral relations of India to Category:Africa–India relations using Cat-a-lot