WHEN THREE’S COMPANY
Union minister Sushma Swaraj with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi at the inauguration of the India-Africa friendship garden on Sunday.
NEW DELHI: Union minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday inaugurated the revamped rose garden at Shanti Path to mark the beginning of the third edition of the India-Africa Summit, which will start from Monday.
The garden which will now be called the India-Africa Friendship Garden has been redeveloped by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in a month with 65 varieties of roses from different parts of the world.
Swaraj said that the rose garden is a symbol of the blossoming friendship between India and African countries.
“We consider Africa as a part of our extended neighborhood. We share a special relationship and this mainly owes to the common past that we have had, a past which has seen a struggle against colonialism,” said Swaraj.
The inauguration function was attended by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and member of Parliament Meenakshi Lekhi along with foreign minister of the Republic of Madagascar Beatrice Jeanine Atallah, ambassador of Ethopia Gennet Zewide and the representatives of 54 participating countries.
Kejriwal said the whole world is looking forward to the summit being organised in Delhi. “Today India and Africa have a common vision to cope with the challenges of our cities such as urban development, traffic, pollution and liveable habitat. We may jointly fight these problems,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the Rose Garden will be a symbol of India-Africa unity.
The garden, which was earlier managed by the India Rose Garden Society, was developed by NDMC in less than a month. It was only in September this year that the council decided to take charge of the garden’s maintenance.
“The garden exists in two plots and the total area is approximately three acres. It is located on the junction between Satya Marg and Shanti Path. We have constructed water bodies in the garden and we will set up a high tea lounge in the premises,” said NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar.