His Excellency Brother Abdel Aziz
Bouteflika, President of the
Democratic People's Republic of Algeria, Current Chairman of the
Organization of African Unity,
His Excellency Mr. Antonio Manuel de Oliviera Guterres, Prime Minister
of Portugal, Current President of the European Union,
Your Majesties and Excellencies Kings and Heads of State,
Your Excellencies Heads of Government,
His Excellency Mr. Salim Ahmad Salim, Secretary-General of the Organization of
African Unity,
His Excellency Mr. Romani Brodi, Head of the European Commission,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure, at the outset, to welcome you all as esteemed guests of
African Egypt; the cradle of human civilization and Heavenly Messages, an ever-flowing
fountain of knowledge and arts, a crossroad of cultures and sciences, a bridge linking
peoples and a point of convergence between both ancient and modern world continents.
The hosting by Egypt of this unique event today, and the intensified contacts conducted
by Egypt to make possible this historical meeting between Africa and Europe, embody
Egypt's complete conviction of the importance of establishing strategic partnership, that
reflects both parties' political will and joint determination to make use of the relations
of
the past, promote bonds of the present and realize ambitions of the future with the
purpose of enhancing friendship and cooperation between both sides and realizing their
common interests in bringing about a better life for both the African and the European
nations alike.
In this context, I would like to pay tribute to the Portugese-European initiative that
adopted the idea of this summit.. I would like as well to commend the constructive
response on the part of the Organization of African Unity and all the African countries to
put this initiative into effect in a world that is witnessing the increasing role of large
groupings, as well as growing and multiplying forums of cooperation and dialogues,thus
opening new prospects for enhancing economic interaction and integration as well as
international peace and security.
At present, we look forward to a new form of close partnership among our countries,
based on common interests and mutual benefits in order to attain the sublime goal of
realizing prosperity and welfare for the nations of both continents.
Hence, it is worth mentioning that African countries have made significant strides over
the past decade to create a favourable atmosphere to pave the way for their continent to
overcome the problems it has suffered from for long years, and to enable the continent to
integrate and interact with the global economy, relying on a stable base, with a view to
achieving the aspired economic and social development.
During the past decade, the African countries have adopted broad programmes for
economic restructuring reform and infrastructure upgrading. In the meantime,
sub-regional economic blocs continue to forge their way out towards their goals and to
establish the main pillars for building the African Economic Community.
To this end, these blocs have accomplished several constructive achievements.
In addition to the awareness of the necessity of accelerating African regional integration
to cope with the recent changes on the international arena, such successes have
stimulated the decision by African leaders to expedite the establishment of the African
Unity institutions and the Pan-African Parliament.
Furthermore, the year 2000 was declared the year of peace in Africa and a ministerial
conference on security, stability, development and cooperation in the continent is to be
held.
During the last decade, Africa has witnessed prompt efforts to establish pillars of
democracy, freedom and respect for human rights and the rule of law. These efforts aim
at enhancing popular participation in all walks of life, maximizing contribution of the
civil
society in capability building, ensuring the rights of the African citizen as well as
improving the level of his performance and awareness. It augurs well that this month
marks the first anniversary of Grand Bay Declaration and plan of action of the First
African Ministerial Conference on human Rights that embodied Africa's faith in such
sublime principles.
Within the framework of these efforts and in recognition of the organic correlation
between development, democracy and stability triangle, African countries have spared
no effort to curb conflicts which are still the main source of suffering and waste of
resources and energies in many African regions.
In 1995, the Orgnization of African Unity's Mechanism for Conflict Prevention,
Management and Resolution was established in Cairo. In more than one occasion, this
mechanism has proved the ability of the continent's people's to handle their own affairs,
perform their vanguard role in preventing aggravation of conflicts and finding urgent
solutions for them without neglecting the basic responsibility entrusted to the Security
Council for maintaining international peace and security according to United Nations
Charter.
In the same vein, Africa has monitored with interest the UN Secretary-General report on
"the reasons of conflicts and means to reach permanent peace and sustainable
development in Africa" which had a favourable effect on attracting world attention
over
the past period to the adverse impact of these conflicts on its economies and
development potential.
In this context, I would like specifically to pinpoint two outstanding achievements
already
made, thanks to the wisdom and insight of the African leaders, with the purpose of
enhancing the concept of security and stability in the African continent. The first was
the
signing in 1996 of the African Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zone Treaty in Cairo (The Treaty
of Pelindaba) which, we hope, will be supplemented with a tantamount achievement by
the establishment of a Nuclear - Weapons - Free zone in the Middle East, particularly in
view of the close association not only between the security of both regions but also
betwean the security of the Middle East and the European security.
The second achievement is the adoption by the Algiers Summit of the African Agreement
on the Prevention and Combat of Terrorism. We look forward to the international
community to support this achievement by convening an international conference under
the United Nations umbrella to draw up an overall strategy to wipe out terrorism that
jeopardizes the security of our societies worldwide.
To supplement these achievements, additional accomplishments have been recently
made, including the settlement of several African issues that had long afflicted the
leaders of the continent. Of these, I specifically mention the situation in Sierra Leon,
Central Africa, Guinea-Bissau and Liberia. Concomitantly, efforts by the leaders of the
continent, in coordination with the United Nations, have culminated in an agreement, that
will hopefully ensure the settlement of the Democratic Congo crisis.
At present, further efforts are being exerted to settle problems in Somalia and Angola,
and alleviate tension between Eretria and Ethiopia as well as other areas of tension, thus
allowing peace to prevail in the African continent and allowing Africans to dedicate their
efforts to build and develop their societies.
Your Majesties and Excellencies kings,
and Heads of State
and Government,
Esteemed Guests,
The development of the African continent is, in the first place, the responsibility of its
own peoples and governments. This is a concept,that was emphasized in the Cairo plan of
action issued by the 1995 African Summit. The plan also underscored that democracy,
good governace, peace, security, stability and justice are essential factors for African
socio-economic development.
Although structural reform programmes in most countries of the continent have already
contributed to rationalize and maximize benefits from available resources and the fact
that these programmes were accompanied with serious efforts to build democratic
institutions, it is still imperative to work together for boosting this improvement in the
political and economic climate through a steady increase in the flow of investment
resources; a situation that has not yet matirialized properly in many African regions.
Conversely, governmental and private financial flows into the continent over the past two
decades have shown a tangible drop, while world prices of raw materials are going down
and the continent's share of the world trade is shrinking. Under these unfavourable
external conditions, the African debt crisis has aggravated into unprecedented
dimensions while existing mechanisms proved to be either extremely slack or short of
easing its burdens.
The flow of initiatives, recently launched to deal with this problem, may reflect
awareness by the international community of its magnitude and the need to reach
unconventional solutions to overcome it.
Here, We would like to emphasize our conviction of the need to find a radical solution to
this problem enabling the African continent to utilize these resources in enhancing
development efforts and modernizing its infrastructure. On the same plain, we would like
to commend the efforts of H.E.Mr. Abdel Aziz Bouteflika President of Algeria and
H.E.Mr. Thabo Mbeki President of South Africa in carrying out the mandate entrusted
to them by the recent OAU Summit in Sert to negotiate with the lending countries to ease
debt burdens and service cost. We hope that our conference will give a strong impetus to
these efforts towards achieving our common objectives.
Your Majesties and Excellencies Kings
and Heads of State
and Government,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Through this historic event that Cairo hosts today, we do look forward, not to secure
more aid but rather to develop our mutual partnership and cooperation programmes. We
further seek to support the sustained efforts exerted by the African peoples on all levels
to achieve a comprehensive revival for the continent, in a way that allows Africa to
occupy the position it deserves and ultimately realize joint interests of both parties.
There is no doubt that to achieve an appropriate level of sustainable development, in the
broad sense of the word, by boosting Africa's capabilities to produce, consume and
create new investment and trade opportunities will also generate positive returns to the
rest of the world in general and Europe in particular.
Actually, there already exist several cooperation programmes and joint agreements
between Africa and Europe on both bilateral and sub-regional levels. However, this
historic Summit should basically contribute to establishing an overall and effective
concept for a strategic partnership between both parties, which can achieve a qualitative
leap in the volume and depth of cooperation, supported by a common political will to
further and maximize it with time.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my confidence that our open-minded and
open-hearted discussions and deliberations will contribute to setting solid bases for a
sustainable and evolving strategic partnership within the framework of a well-defined
working programme. With clear-cut components and objectives, this programme can
provide an effective and constructive means to follow up issues to be agreed upon as well
as a firm base for future fruitful relations that would realize the common interests of
our
peoples and contribute to establishing an international community where security, justice,
peace and welfare prevail.
My best wishes to you all for a pleasant stay in Egypt as well as for our historic
conference to succeed in achieving our common goals.
Thank You |
