This month saw Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Dakar, received by Senegalese President H.E. Macky Sall and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Aissata Tall Sall. The diplomatic trip, representing the first high-level Indian delegation to the nation, formed part of a three-country itinerary commencing in Gabon and ending in Qatar, its fruits including a slate of three Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) signed between Senegal and India’s respective governments.
In the first MoU, visas were formally waived for diplomatic and official passport holders travelling between the two nations and in the second, the long-running India-Senegal Cultural Exchange Programme was renewed for the next four years.
In the third MoU, best practice sharing, and capacity development ties forged in the subject of youth empowerment in the workforce.
Of special note was H.E. Vice President Naidu’s particular interest in investment opportunities opened up by H.E. President Sall’s Emergent Senegal 2035 Plan. This landmark policy framework includes targets such as securing universal access to affordable, reliable electricity by 2025 and 50% local content in the energy sector by 2030, alongside 2019’s new Petroleum Code and 2020’s Gas Code leading to the $9 billion in energy megadevelopments set to come online in Senegal next year, raising the nation’s GDP by a projected 13.7%.
Opening the India-Senegal Business Forum in Dakar and later addressing assembled future leaders at Cheikh Anta Diop University, H.E. Naidu stressed the 60-year legacy of India and Senegal’s mutual friendship and development partnerships. He praised the Senegalese President on the nation’s stable democracy, presenting this as a shared trait with his own nation, India, the world’s largest democracy. But most importantly, he reiterated India’s unwavering support for the Common African Position, congratulating H.E. President Sall on his leadership as elected chairperson of the African Union this year.
The MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power Conference 2022 will convene on 1-2 September with an opening address from H.E. President Sall, setting the stage for two days of high-level discussions on MSGBC energy. With the EU’s labelling gas as green and the Russia-Ukraine conflict ongoing, African gas is seeing unprecedented investment interest and demand, financiers flocking from across Africa, Europe, Asia, America, Australia and the Middle East to attend MSGBC Oil, gas & Power 2022.
H.E. Naidu’s visit is only the latest in a long string of dignitaries to grace the Senegalese nation with their presence, with the UN Secretary General, South African, Turkish, Ugandan, German and World Bank Presidents all being received by H.E. President Sall in recent months. MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2022 will feature delegates and speakers ranging from international industry executives to national oil company heads, ministry leaders to heads of state, banking partners and venture capitalists to regulatory and oversight firms offering strategic insights. Visit https://msgbcoilgasandpower.com/ to register.