NEW DELHI: The forthcoming India-Africa summit, India’s biggest diplomatic jamboree in 30 years, will make even political rivals smell of roses, literally.
As part of the lavish celebrations, workers are putting in all efforts to bring back bloom to a long-dead rose garden in Delhi’s diplomatic district. The National Rose Garden had been virtually barren for several years, but is being brought back to live with a new name in honour of the summit – “India Africa Friendship Rose Garden”.
Interestingly, the newly blooming garden would be jointly inaugurated by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal before the start of the summit on October 26.
The summit will begin with meeting of trade ministers and senior officials next week, following by foreign minsters and finally the leaders on Oct 29.
Over 40 African leaders are expected to descend on Delhi, which includes the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and the Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir.
Since Delhi has no venue big enough to accommodate such an event, the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has been turned into a massive auditorium for the purpose.
India and Africa bilateral trade currently stands at $70 billion, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopes to bolster with this mega event where all 54 African countries have been invited.