Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 5 • Number 35 • 16th October 2001
EU Lends Support To New African Initiative
Several African leaders met in Brussels on 10 October to hold talks with European Union (EU) officials on an economic recovery programme for the continent entitled the ‘New Africa Initiative’ (NAI). The one- day meeting resulted in support from the EU, which has committed to establish a common group on infrastructure in the framework of the next European development fund programme to help the NAI grow.
According to a joint communiqué, the EU has agreed to take the initiative further through both human resources and financial support. The communiqué further indicates resolve from both sides to set up links between the NAI and EU institutional frameworks and announces the development in 2002 of a regular dialogue on the NAI as it further takes shape. The meeting was attended among others by presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, and Frederick Chiluba of Zambia. On the European side, European Commission President Romano Prodi, External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana were also present.
The NAI, representing a merger between the Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Programme and the OMEGA Plan, is an economic programme that was unanimously adopted by the Lusaka Summit on 11 July 2001. It is a pledge by African leaders to create conditions conducive for investment, growth and development as well as initiatives to raise resources to address underdevelopment in critical sectors that are highlighted in the Programme, such as infrastructure, education, health, agriculture and information communication technology.
The NAI will be presented at the September 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Financing of Development Conference in Mexico in 2002, amongst other events and bilateral interactions.
"EU to Support New African Initiative," XINHUA NEWS AGENCA, 10 October 2001; ICTSD Internal Files.