High Commission of India

Accra, Ghana

Accra

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India-Togo Bilateral Brief

Political relations

India and Togo have cordial bilateral relations. India recognized the Togolese Republic since it attained Independence in 1960.  India does not have a resident Mission in Togo and presently High Commission of India, Accra is accredited to Togo.  India has a Honorary Consul in Togo. Togo opened its Embassy in New Delhi in 2010 and since then is headed by a Charge d’ Affaires. In line with the Cabinet decision of opening 18 Missions in Africa, India has decided to open its resident Mission in Togo.

Visits from Togo

President Visits

Togolese President Mr. Gnassingbe Eyadema paid a State visit to India from 26 to 29 September 1994. Being the first visit by a President of Togo, this opened a new chapter in mutual relations and added an impetus to bilateral cooperation between the two countries. (Earlier, in 1989, President Eyadema had made a brief stopover in Calcutta on his way to China.)

Togo signed and ratified the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and at the joint invitation extended by Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron, President Faure Gnassingbe participated in the International Solar Alliance Founding Conference held in New Delhi on 11 March 2018. Togolese President had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister.  

3rd  IAFS Participation

The Togolese Foreign Minister Mr. Robert Dussey led the Togolese delegation to the IAFS-III Summit in New Delhi (27-30 October 2015) and he had a bilateral meeting with our EAM on 28 October. The Togolese Minister of Commerce, Industry and Private Sector Promotion Ms. EssossimnaLegzim-Balouki also visited India to take part in the Trade Ministers meet on the sidelines of IAFS-III on 23-24 October 2015.

Participation in CII-EXIM Bank Conclaves

Togo’s participation at the annual CII-EXIM Bank Conclaves has been at high level. Ms. Essossimna Legzim-Balouki, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Private Sector Promotion, led the Togolese delegation to the 9th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave held in Delhi in March, 2013; 11th CII Exim Bank conclave in 2016; 12th Conclave in 2017 and 13th CII-Exim Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership held at New Delhi from 25-27 March, 2018. Ambassador of Togo to Nigeria, accompanied by Mr. Mensah Koffi Vinyo, Director of Private Sector Promotion attended the CII-EXIM Bank India-West Africa Regional Conclave held at Abuja, Nigeria on 8-9 October, 2018.

Earlier, Prime Minister, Mr. Gilbert Fousson Houngbo had led a Togolese delegation to the 6th CII-Exim Bank Conclave in India in March 2010 and the 12th Regional Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership in Accra on 3 June 2010. He again visited India leading a 50-member delegation in March, 2011 for the 7th CII EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Partnership. Minister of Cooperation and NEPAD of Togo led the Togolese delegation for the CII Conclave in October 2006. High-level government and business delegations participated in the CII-EXIM Conclave on ‘India-Africa Project Partnerships’ held in November 2005 and in May 2006 in Accra.

Other Ministerial visits

Mr. Mustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Government of Togo attended the Fourth India-Africa Health Forum organised at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai on 16 May, 2018. H.E. Mr. Antoine Lekpa Gbegbeni, Minister of Water Sanitation and Village Hydraulics led a five-member delegation to attend the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention held at New Delhi from 29 September-2 October, 2018. Mr. Marc Dèdèriwè Ably-Bidamon,Minister of Mines and Energy, led a delegation for the 1st General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance held at New Delhi from 2-5 October, 2018.

The senior diplomatic Advisor to the President, Mr. Koffi Esaw, visited India in October, 2010 in connection with inauguration of the resident Mission of Togo in India.

Visits from India

Ministerial-level visits

MoS External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan visited Togo from 5-6 September. During the visit, MoS called on H.E. President, had a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister and Ministers of Mines & Energy and Digital Innovation. He also delivered an address at the Diplomatic Club of Lome and interacted with the Indian community.

MoS Defence, Dr. Subash Bhamre visited Togo to participate in the AU Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Safety and Security in October 2016. India had gifted US$ 1,00,000/- for hosting of the Summit in response to request made by Togolese Foreign Minister to EAM on the margins of 3rd IAFS in October 2015.

MOS for Agriculture Shri Mohanbhai Kundariya visited Togo from 7-8 July 2015 as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to deliver the invitation to the President and Prime Minister of Togo for the IAFS –III Summit.  He called on the Prime Minister of Togo Dr. Komi Selom Klassou during the visit.

Shri Anand Sharma, MOS (AS), met the President of Togo on 7 March 2007 in Accra during their visit to Ghana to participate in the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Ghana’s Independence and discussed with him various issues of mutual interest. 

Lok Sabha Speaker, Dr. Balram Jakhar, visited Lomé in 1985 for the Inter-Parliamentary Conference. 

Other visits

A delegation led by Secretary (Fertilizers), visited Togo on 10-11 July, 2012 and in June, 2013. A 3-member delegation led by Additional Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education visited Togo in December 2013.

Shri Kailash Satyarthi, the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Honorary President of the Global March against Child Labor, was received by the Speaker of Togolese Parliament in March, 2018.

Economic & Commercial relations

India is among the top trading partners of Togo. Togo is already one of the beneficiaries of the Duty Free Trade Preferences scheme. According to available statistics, total bilateral trade between the two countries, for the last few years is as follows:
(Figures in USD million)

Year	Export to Togo	Import from Togo	Total Trade	Balance of Trade
2014-15	688.42	195.65	884.07	492.77
2015-16	532.19	225.09	757.28	307.10
2016-17	315.70	138.42	454.12	177.28
2017-18	382.72	153.52	536.24	175.20
2018-19	694.09	303.93	998.02	390.16
April-June 2019	232.65	204.10	436.75	28.55

(Source:Department of Commerce, India)

India’s major exports to Togo include mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; cereals and preparation of cereals cotton; articles of apparel and clothing; iron and steel articles; man-made filaments; man-made staple fibers; drugs and pharmaceuticals; machinery & mechanical appliances; plastic and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof; vehicles and parts and accessories thereof, etc. Imports from Togo include natural phosphates, ferrous and copper waste and scrap; wood and articles of wood; other metal scrap; oil seeds; coconuts & brazil nuts etc. and raw cotton.

Developmental Partnership

India has extended four Lines of Credit (LOCs) totaling US$ 144.35 million (through EBID and bilaterally) to Togo for various projects. The projects implemented/signed/approved are: (I) US$ 14.96 million Rural electrification project in 2011; (ii) US$ 13.10 million Farming and cultivation of rice, maize and sorghum in 2012; (iii) US$ 30 million rural electrification to cover 150 localities in 2016; (iv) US$ 52 million setting up of 161 KV power transmission line in 2016; (v) US$ 20 million equip health institutions project (through EBID); (vi) US$ 13 million upgrading of power generation and distribution capacity of CEET (through EBID).  Under the aegis of ISA Founding Conference held in Delhi in 2018, India announced new Lines of Credit through EBID of US$ 40 million for electrification of 350 villages through deployment of photovoltaic systems.

On 15 July 2019, a project to promote biodiversity-friendly livelihoods in the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (North-Togo), funded by the Government of India through the India-UN Fund for Development Partnership for US$ 1 million,was launched in Lomé. The Project will be implemented by the UNESCO. The project consists of setting up a biosphere reserve around the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park. The project, which reflects the dynamism of South-South cooperation, aims to preserve biodiversity and the problems of deforestation, land degradation and the decline of agricultural production.
India has provided economic assistance to Togo in the form of tractors (60), water pumps, sewing machines, ambulance, transport vehicles, corn-grinding machines, etc. On the request from the Togolese government, India extended grant assistance that included supply of indelible ink in 2002 for the elections held in Togo; India rendered humanitarian assistance in form of medicines to ameliorate the suffering of the victims of the floods in 2008; Togolese government approached India for support in organizing the AU Maritime Security Summit in Lomé to be held in October 2016, for which an assistance of US $ 100,000 was extended. 

A Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Center will be constructed in Lome under grant assistance. Signing of MoU for implementation of e-VBAB has been taken up with the Togolese government.

Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme

India offers training in human resource development under the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme. The utilization fo ITEC slots by Togo during last few years is as follows: In 2018-2019, Togo has so far utilised 13 ITEC slots, 4 ITEC (Defence) slots and 3 slots under IAFS. During the years 2016-17, Togo utilised 14 slots and 21 Slots in the year 2017-18.

Cultural relations

To mark Freedom 70/India@70 celebrations, a performance by an Odissi Dance troupe sponsored by Ministry of Culture (GoI) was organized on 9th August 2017. An Indian dance ensemble had earlier visited Togo in 1984.

The International Day of Yoga was organized on 21 June 2015. The 2nd International Day of Yoga was marked on 26 June 2016 and the 3rd Yoga Day was celebrated on 24 June 2017. The 4th International Day of Yoga was celebrated on 24 June 2018. The 5th IDY was celebrated in Lome on 21 June, 2019.

 Indian community

Indian community in Togo is small and there are about 400-500 Indians living in the country.  Most of them are businessmen engaged in trading, assembling, running super markets, hotels etc.  The community has an Association.

September 2019