Guinea
Relations between India and Republic of Guinea have been cordial and friendly. India had opened an Embassy in Conakry earlier but closed in 1988 after more than 2 decades. Guinea opened its Embassy in New Delhi in April 2012. Subsequent to the Cabinet approval for opening of 18 new Missions in Africa by 2021, India opened its Embassy in Guinea in 2019. Bilateral relations between India and Guinea are strengthening continuously.
Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic
- India has supplied 194400 doses of made in India Covid-19 vaccines to the Government and people of Guinea in April 2021 under Covax scheme.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- The Ministry has allocated the following Defence and Civilian ITEC slots to the Republic of Guinea:
- Defence ITEC: The Ministry has allocated five Defence ITEC slots for 2022-23 for regular courses of Army, Air Force & Navy and special courses for Tri Services. The Ministry has allocated Maritime Courses offered by Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for Foreign Friendly Country (FFC) scheduled to be held in February/March 2023 under ITEC scheme of the MEA to the Republic of Guinea. The nomination is under process from Guinean Side.
- Civilian ITEC: The Ministry has allocated 40 Civilian ITEC slots to the Republic of Guinea. Out of these 40 slots, the Mission has utilized 5 slots till date.
- The ICCR has allocated one slot to the Republic of Guinea under Africa Scholarship Scheme (ASS). The Mission utilized the slot by sending one Guinean applicant to India to avail of the ICCR scholarship under Africa Scholarship Scheme (ASS) during the Academic Year 2021-22. In the AY 2022-23 again 01 slot was provided by the ICCR under the said scheme. The Mission has already processed the applications received through A2A portal and approved the candidate for the ICCR Scholarship for AY 2022- 23.
- eVidyaBharti and e-ArogyaBharti (e-VBAB) Project: The PAN African eNetwork project of India has been in operation in Guinea. Government of India has offered the upgraded e-VBAB programme to Guinea.
- The Government of India through Tele-education project offers scholarships to the Students from Guinea to pursue Undergraduate (3 years courses), Postgraduate (2 to 2½ years courses), Diploma courses (1 Year) and Certificate Programs of 4 to 24 weeks from premier public and private universities of India in various disciplines including technology, business administration and commerce, healthcare, tourism, humanities and arts.
- Students can enroll and pursue the course completely online from their home or at learning center. Students can now empower themselves without leaving the country and free of cost by developing technical and managerial skills and embark on a new career, or prepare for advanced study. The courses offered are completely free of cost.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- Government of India has extended the following Lines of Credit (LoCs) to the Government of the Republic of Guinea.
- LoC of US $ 35 million: The LoC was extended to the Government of the Republic of Guinea on 11 March 2014 for strengthening of health system in Guinea.
- LoC of US $ 20.506 million: This is an additional funding to the LoC of US $ 35 million extended on 12 June 2020 for construction and upgradation of regional hospitals in Kankan and Nzerekore.
- Line of Credit (LoC) of US $ 170 million: The Government of India had extended a Line of Credit (LoC) of US $ 170 million to the Government of the Republic of Guinea on 13 November 2019 for financing the project for strengthening the drinking water supply of Grand Conakry-Horizon 2040.
- Line of Credit (LoC) of US $ 20.22 million: The LoC agreement was extended on 7 November 2019 for the following two solar projects, signed on 5 December 2019: (a) Solar project for supply of Electricity and Drinking Water for 7 public universities in Guinea at a cost of US $ 14.40 million. (b) Solar Project for electrification and refrigeration in 200 health infrastructures in Guinea at a cost of US $ 5.82 million.
- Apart from the above LoCs, Government of India has also accepted the proposal from the Guinean Government to extend GOIs technical and financial support for construction of five regional airports in the interior of the Republic of Guinea and construction of a Convention Center in Conakry at an estimated cost of US $ 250 million. The Mission has initiated the process with the Government of the Republic of Guinea.
- Guinea has also availed Indian LOC of US$ 28.51 million through ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for importing 100 buses from India (US$ 8.1 million) and for rehabilitation and extension of the electricity networks in Guinea (US$ 20 million).
- Government of India donated fifty electric transformers in April 2007 with capacities between 250 and 400 KVA costing Rs. 17.67 million to help Guinea mitigate its electricity problem.
- GOI extended bilateral assistance of US$ 50,000 to Guinea to fight Ebola in 2014. In addition, GOI provided cash assistance of US$ 500,000 to WHO as well as contribution of US$ 10 million to UN Fund for Ebola and additional US$ 2 million for purchase of protective gear to tackle Ebola for the three Ebola affected countries of West Africa including Guinea.
- GOI extended six tons of critical medical assistance to the Republic of Guinea in July 2020, to fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.
