Abdelkader Messahel: “Africa Wants A Profitable Partnership With The EU”

African countries to create a profitable partnership with the European Union in all fields, Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel, called on Sunday from Addis Ababa.

“Partnership between Africa and the European Union must be profitable for both sides”; Mesahel told the press after receiving the mediator between the EU and the African-Caribbean-Pacific region, Louis Michel, on the sidelines of the 31st session of the African Union Executive Council.

Head of Algerian diplomacy said that he discussed with Louis Michel the development issues in the African continent, especially the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which is a strategy to lay the foundations for development in the African continent.

“Africa is an emerging continent with very important potential that can be developed in partnership with the European Union, especially in the field of infrastructure”, Masahel said, recalling Algeria’s efforts in this area, such as the Trans-Saharan project and the important structures of communication and African integration.

“The meeting included issues of interest to Africa, such as the problems of energy (electricity), which was a subject of great debate in the African continent. Among the African priorities there are those related to the security problems in the African continent. There is a need to resolve conflicts in Africa to allow the settlement of people”.

“Migration must be a matter of agreement and understanding between the two sides. Africa is the continent that receives the largest number of migrants. Migration is experiencing a great influx within Africa and towards Europe or elsewhere”.

For his part, the mediator between the countries of the European Union and the African-Caribbean-Pacific region, Louis Michel, said that Algeria is an “important partner” because it has always developed a unified vision on the African continent.

“Algeria is a very important country for Europe, because it has always developed a unified vision of the African continent”, said Louis Michel.

“Partnership is a advantage for the European Union. A new methodology for cooperation between Europe and Africa should be more comprehensive”, targeting the economic sector.

“Europe wants to share a broader political and economic outlook, but it should not be purely charitable and not dependent on any kind of dependence” he added.

Referring to the joint projects between the two continents, Michel Louis explained; “There are several potential opportunities that can be embodied, especially in the field of infrastructure, in the energy sector and security.”

After recalling that he was entrusted with a mediation mission to prepare for the forthcoming Cotonou agreements that will be completed in 2020, the official said: “Negotiations will be launched by the end of the current year”.

“One of the major projects ahead is to expand the scope of these negotiations to the entire African continent to develop a profitable partnership strategy between Africa and the EU in all areas”, he concluded.