India-Africa Summit is first event of such big scale: PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the India-Africa Forum Summit here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it is for the first time that an event of such a big scale is being held in India and assumes significance considering the historic linkages between the two sides.

"From Oct 26 to 29, India Africa Forum Summit is being held here. On Indian soil, it is for the first that an event of such a big scale is being held. Leaders of 54 African countries and Unions have been invited. Outside Africa, this is the biggest convention," he said in his monthly radio programme ' Mann Ki Baat'.

Modi said the relations between India and Africa are deep and the population of the two collectively forms one-third of the world populace.

"It is said that lakhs of years back, this (India and Africa) was a single land mass. Later, due to the Indian Ocean, it split into two," he said.

"There are a lot of similarities between us.... Around 27 lakh Indians have been living in Africa for a long time," he said.

The Prime Minister said India and Africa have economic, cultural and political ties but the biggest factor is the education provided by India to the African youth.

Over 25,000 African students have got education in India and political leaders of a number of African countries are India-educated, he said, adding from the point of view of all these aspects, the Summit is important.