External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme as one of India’s “most important platforms for capacity building”, saying New Delhi is a “reliable partner” in meeting Cote d’Ivoire’s requirements for skilled human resources, technical expertise and institutional capacity.
Speaking at an interaction with ITEC alumni in Cote d’Ivoire’s capital, Abidjan, on Wednesday (local time), Jaishankar said the programme, which began in 1964, has evolved into an important instrument of India’s engagement with partner countries.
“This year marks the 62nd year of the ITEC programme. It started in 1964. And it has actually evolved into one of our most important platforms for capacity building and a way of engaging other countries,” he said.
He noted that ITEC now extends to more than 160 partner countries and offers nearly 10,000 fully funded training opportunities every year across a wide range of disciplines.
“Where Africa is concerned, development partnership has always been central to our engagement. And we have taken a view that what we do in India should respond to the demands and priorities of our African partners,” Jaishankar said.
He said ITEC is an important vehicle for sharing India’s developmental, security and governance experiences, best practices, technology and expertise, while also enabling India to learn from partner countries.
“ITEC is very important because it is a vehicle to share our developmental experiences, our security experiences, our governance experiences, and best practices, and to also discuss technology and expertise together,” he said.
Jaishankar said ITEC encompasses areas including ICT and digital governance, public administration, banking and finance, agriculture, energy, skill development, defence, security and counter-terrorism.
“The whole idea really is to develop a comprehensive package so that the entirety of the requirements of our partner countries can be addressed through that programme,” he said.
On India-Cote d’Ivoire ties, Jaishankar said the two countries have “longstanding and friendly relations”, with capacity building being an important pillar of their engagement.
“In the last 12 years, I’m given to understand that around 800 ITEC slots have been utilised. And this represents a very substantial investment in human resources, and more importantly, in building a long-term relationship with us,” he said.
He said 123 slots have been committed on the defence side and 100 on the civilian side, while stressing the importance of regular exchanges between the two countries.
“At the end of the day, you know, assets may be created, and people may visit each other. But the human connection, the emotions, the experiences, the memories, the connection which we built through these courses – these are really the capital for a relationship,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar described Cote d’Ivoire as “one of the key partners in West Africa” and said India remains supportive of its economic growth, governance transformation and security and defence goals.
“So, what I want today to emphasise is that India is a reliable partner in meeting these requirements,” he said, adding that capacity building through ITEC would support Cote d’Ivoire’s efforts to develop its human capital and acquire the requisite skills for a “transforming economy and good governance”.
