India and the African Union have decided to postpone their important summit scheduled for next week in New Delhi due to the "emerging health situation" on the African continent, in an apparent reference to the Ebola epidemic that is currently worrying international health authorities.
The fourth India-Africa Forum summit was scheduled to take place from May 28 to 31 in the Indian capital. It was to bring together leaders and ministers to discuss several strategic issues, including trade, investment, innovation, digital technologies, sustainable development, and global governance.
In a statement released Thursday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs explained that the decision was made following discussions on "the evolving health situation in certain regions of Africa." However, no further details were officially provided regarding the risks involved.
This announcement comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo faces an epidemic linked to a rare strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 600 suspected cases and 139 presumed deaths have been recorded since the outbreak began about two months ago. Health authorities fear a rapid increase in the number of cases in the coming weeks.
The India-Africa Forum is a major diplomatic event for New Delhi, which has been seeking for several years to strengthen its economic and political influence on the African continent in the face of growing competition from other world powers, particularly China.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs indicated that new dates for the summit would be announced later, once the health situation was deemed more stable.
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