She said India's investments in Africa had also received a boost in recent years as African countries were receiving strong investment interest from India due to their high growth markets and mineral rich reserves. Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee said his Government was committed to further strengthening partnerships with Africa for mutual benefit.

The threads that connect India and Sri Lanka are many. From mythology to history to civilizational, cultural, commercial and people-to-people ties, there are layers and layers of what we mean for each other. We have the profound advantage of not having to look hard for similarities and bonds. The question is how to encash these advantages and maximise our mutual benefit?

In the call, the two presidents reportedly emphasized the importance of collaboration and partnership on security, governance and regional leadership. [...] Despite significant strides to address Boko Haram as a fighting force, violent extremism remains a major challenge in addition to other growing tensions between and among communities along social, ethnic, religious and economic lines.

The US can be a natural partner to Sri Lanka as it progresses on the challenging transformative journey, to develop the nation as a modern democracy, rapidly integrating with the world of business and trade, in peace and friendship, for the mutual benefit of both countries, the Ambassador said.  

The opening of the centre marks two important milestones, a milestone in the friendship between Nato and Kuwait, and a milestone in the blossoming partnership between Nato and the entire Gulf region, he said. “Nato’s Istanbul Cooperation Initiative — the ICI — was designed to contribute to long-term regional stability, so I am extremely pleased that our three other ICI partners are represented here today: Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates,” he said.

The partnership was formed in August last year, after the third edition. “We have a large North Eastern community here. We wanted to support their effort to showcase their culture and, in the process, also showcase ours to them. We felt the event can be a cross-cultural exchange platform. Also, Bengaluru has been called the most dynamic city in the world.

It has been an encouraging year for our partnership with Africa. Alongside our African partners, we have made significant progress advancing democracy, peace, and prosperity throughout the continent, though challenges, of course, remain.

Connecting China and Western Europe, Poland has been tapped as a key link in the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a stop in Poland back in June, overseeing the signing of around 40 different trade and partnership agreements.