Central African Republic–India relations refers to the bilateral relations between the Central African Republic (CAR) and India. The Embassy of India in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo is concurrently accredited to CAR. India also maintains an Honorary Consulate General in Bangui. CAR has no diplomatic mission in India.
History
The Central African Republic and India signed an agreement to hold Foreign Office Consultations between the two Foreign Ministries on 3 September 2010, and the first such Consultation was held on 17 January 2011 in Bangui. Rajinder Bhagat, Joint Secretary (West Africa), MEA led the Indian delegation, while Foreign Minister General Antoine Gambi headed the CAR side.
Central African Minister of Small & Medium Enterprises, Deputy Minister for Finance, and Adviser to the President of CAR visited India in March 2010 to participate in the 6th CII-EXIM Bank conclave. Foreign Minister Lt. Gen. Antoine Gambi attended the LDC Foreign Ministers Conference in New Delhi in February 2011. Gambi visited India again in February 2011, along with the Minister of Economic Planning and International Cooperation Sylvain Maliko, Minister for Energy Jean Chrysostome Mekonndongo, and Minister for Communications Michel Koyt to attend the 7th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave for India Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi in February–March 2011.
CAR was the guest country at the 8th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi in March 2012. Central African Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra led a high level delegation including 6 Cabinet ministers - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transport, Minister of Energy and Hydraulic, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Commerce, and Minister and Director of Cabinet of President, along with senior officials and members of the Chambers of Commerce of CAR attended the Conclave. Addressing the Conclave, Touadera stated that his nation was honoured to be the guest country at the Conclave, acknowledged the benefits of the lines of credit (LoCs) provided by India, and invited Indian companies to get more involved in Africa. The CAR Prime Minister described Inda's growing influence in Africa as "a new eastern wind blowing over our continent". Touadera also met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The CAR Government also invited India to invest in the country specifically in roads, railways, hydro-power and uranium mining.
Parfait Anicent Mbay, Second Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, Francophone and Central Africans Abroad, visited Delhi to participate in the 9th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave for India-Africa Project Partnership in March 2013. CAR delegate Gaudeuille Nee Medou Juliene Desiree represented the country at the third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in October 2015.
Trade
Bilateral trade between the Central African Republic and India is comparatively small as the former is a war-torn nation suffering from political instability. Trade between the two countries grew from US$1.13 million in 2004-05 to US$10 million in 2015–16. India exported $9.17 million worth of goods to CAR, and imported $830,000 in 2015–16.
Foreign aid
CAR and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2010 to establish an Information Technology (IT) Centre for Excellence in Bangui. On 3 September 2010, they signed an MoU to establish two learning stations under the Hole-in-Wall Computer Education project. The two stations were opened on 31 August 2011. Under the Pan-African e-Network project, India set up tele-education, tele-medicine and VVIP connectivity in Bangui.
India extended an LoC of $29.5 million to set up a 400 MT/day cement plant in Bangui. CAR availed a line of credit of $20 million from India for limestone mining for the cement plant in Bangui. The contract for the project was awarded to Indian firm Jaguar Overseas Ltd. In early 2014, however, Jaguar was forced to evacuate its personnel from Bangui due to the instability in the CAR. Officials from Jaguar Overseas Ltd. and the Exim Bank visited CAR in August 2016 to assess the progress of the project. The plant had almost been complete at the time the Indian workers were evacuated, but had since been damaged by rebels. Jaguar Overseas stated that it was considering options to restart the work.