India-Guinea Relations
Relations between India and Guinea are cordial and friendly. India had opened
her Embassy in Conakry, in Guinea, but was closed after more than two decades in
1988. Guinea is now under concurrent accreditation of Ambassador of India to Cote
d’Ivoire with residence in Abidjan. The Republic of Guinea had decided to open her
Embassy in New Delhi in 2008 but due political contingencies it was postponed. Finally,
Guinea opened her Embassy in India in April 2012.
The President Prof Conde has shown keen interest in having closed relations
with India and his first step in this direction was to open an embassy in India.
The political climate in Guinea is not volatile as it was before. The economic
activities continue, but the Parliamentary election which was to be held by June 2011
and had been postponed several times were held on September 28, 2013. However,
opposition did not accept the election results in which President Alpha Conde’s party
had won the majority of seats. The Supreme Court rejected the complaints of the
opposition and upheld the provisional election results in which President Alpah Conde’s
party had won 53 seats and its allies 7 in the national assembly of 114 seats.
Bilateral Visits:
No major visits from India have taken place to Guinea for the past 13 years.
However, Guinean Ministers have been visiting India at a regular intervals to
participate in International Conferences organized in India viz., Foreign Affairs Minister
in January 2007 to participate in International Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment,
Minister of Transport in March 2008 to follow up matter of LOC to EBID, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Guineans Abroad, Dr. Edouard Nyankoye Lama in February 2011 to
participate in the India-LDC Ministerial Conference on “Harnessing the Positive
Contribution of South-South Cooperation for Development of Least Developed
Countries”. In 2013, the Industry Minister Mrs. R Bah visited India to participate in CII
Partnership Summit 2013 held in Agra from 27-29, January 2013.
A delegation
consisting of Minister of Energy, Minister of Health, Minister of Employment, Technical
Education and Vocational Training and Minister of Agriculture attended the 9 th CII/EXIM
Bank Conclave in March, 2013.
Bilateral trade
The bilateral trade during last five years has been in the range of US$ 350-400 million
with trade balance in favor of Guinea. The year 2010-11 was really bad due to political
instability.
Indo-Guinea bilateral trade during the last five years is as follows:(in million US$)
Year
Exports
Imports
Total
Trade
balance
2008-09
78.52
288.77
367.29
-210.25
2009-10
79.35
320.24
399.59
-240.89
2010-11
96.40
103.22
199.62
-6.82
2011-12
131.94
262.01
393.95
-130.07
2012-13
206.07
528.31
734.38
-322.24
2013-14
96.18
151.83
248.01
-55.65
(Apr-Sept)
The major Indian exports include rice, textile, motorcycles, biscuits, drugs and
pharmaceuticals, transport equipments, paints, plastic and linoleum products and
construction equipments.
The major Indian import commodities include cashew nuts, Gold and scrap
metals etc.
India Investment in Guinea
Some Indians have established manufacturing facilities in Conakry. The prominent
amongst them are M/s Topaz Group of Companies who has paint and plastic goods
manufacturing units. M/s Bombay Store is in Soap manufacturing.
India’s Economic Assistance
In April 2007, India donated fifty electric transformers with a capacity between
250 to 400 KVA at a total cost of Rs. 17.67 million to assist Guinea solve its electricity
problem.
The Guinean government has availed Indian Lines of credit of US$ 28.51 mn
through EBID for importing 100 buses from India (US$ 8.1 mn) and for rehabilitation and
extension of the electricity networks in Guinea (US$ 20.0 mn).
Presently Line of Credit of US$94.874 million requested by the Government of
the Republic of Guinea for strengthening of Health System and Agricultural
Modernization and Development Project in Guinea is under consideration of the
Government of India.
Government of India has agreed to donate 175 computers to the Government of
the Republic of Guinea.
Under the decisions of India Africa Forum Summit-II held in Addis Ababa in 2011,
India has agreed to establish a Bio-mass Gassifier for village electrification.
Capacity Building and Human Resource Development
Guinea was allotted 25 slots under ITEC for the year 2012-13 which has been
increased to 35 for the year 2013-14. ICCR has given 8 undergraduate/ post graduate
scholarships also.
The PAN African e-Network project of India has since been completed in Guinea.
Cultural Relations:
In February 2013, ICCR sponsored a 8 member cultural troupe from Guinea to
participate in Suraj Kund Art and Craft Mela. ICCR paid for their airfare and all local
expenditure during their 15 days stay in India.
Indian Community
The Indian community in Guinea comprises of about 500 persons. Mainly, they
are in trading or work in trading companies.
There is one Gurudwara in Conakry which used by other community for their
religious functions and gatherings.
January 2, 2014