India looks upon Africa as a new growth pole for the world economy and its progress could help resolve problems relating to food and natural resources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

“We look upon Africa as a new growth pole for the world economy… the world problems with regard to food and natural resource are going to be resolved in what happens to economic development pace of Africa,” Singh told reporters on Saturday on his way back from his six-day Africa visit.

The Prime Minister noted that the world is faced with a shortage of raw material, food and other issues.

“The more I look at the possibilities of progress in Africa, I’m convinced that it is going to provide the pace for the solutions of the global food problem, global resource problem.”

“Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of us to work together with the countries of Africa to evolve a more equitable, more balanced and a more inclusive process of development, avoiding the colonial patterns of development in this regard,” he said.

During his visit to Ethiopia and Tanzania, Singh announced a financial package of 6.6 billion to the African nations.

In Addis Ababa, the Prime Minister addressed the Second Africa-India Forum Summit and announced USD five billion lines of credit to Africa besides unveiling a slew of measures to boost infrastructure development and capacity building in the mineral-rich continent.

He committed an additional USD 700 million to establish new institutions and training programmes and USD 300 million for development of a new Ethio-Djibouti railway line.

Dr. Singh also announced a new line of credit and assistance of USD 190 million for Tanzania and signed an agreement on avoidance of double taxation.