Home / International Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
EU-Africa summit opens in Lisbon
Adjust font size:  ZoomIn ZoomOut

Leaders from 53 African countries and 27 European Union nations opened a "summit of equals" in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon on Saturday, to outline future cooperation and relations between the two continents.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is not attending the meeting as he refuses to sit with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Britain is represented by Baroness Amos, the former International Development Secretary.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (C) Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates (R) and Ghana's President John Kufuor share a laugh on the begining of the EU-Africa summit in Lisbon, Dec. 7, 2007. European and African leaders will seek to forge a fresh partnership to tackle issues like trade, immigration and peacekeeping this week when they hold their first summit in seven years.

The EU's aim at the Lisbon summit is high. It hopes to redefine EU-Africa relations by launching a "strategic partnership" that moves away from a traditional donor-beneficiary relationship.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said in an opening speech that the summit must be a summit of equals.

"We are equal in our human dignity, which transcends any other difference. There are no minor cultures; there are no superior civilizations. We are also equal in terms of our political responsibilities," he said.

Socrates put human rights and migration at the center of a joint strategy prepared for approval at the summit.

Ghanaian President John Kufuor, whose country holds the African Union's presidency, said, however, that it is necessary to correct historical injustice and inhumanity in relations between the two continents.

"For almost 500 years, the relationship between the two continents has not been a happy one," he said at the opening of the summit.

Kufuor asked for commitments to sustained economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation and the recognition of Africa's right to integrate into the world economy in terms of trade, investment and capacity building.

Apart from differences over priorities, the two continents also need to sort out their trade relationship.

The traditional preferential treatments granted by the EU to African, the Caribbean and Pacific nations must be replaced by Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by the end of this year as the former have been declared illegal by the World Trade Organization.

Up to now, however, only 12 African countries have concluded EPAs with the EU. Many African countries fear that the new rules, based on market opening, would lead to a flood of European products.

Other topics on the agenda of the summit are peace and security, climate change and energy.

The leaders are expected to endorse an action plan for the next three years coupled with concrete implementation mechanisms.

A third EU-Africa summit is expected at the end of 2009 in Africa.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Africa-EU Talks to Focus on Development: COMESA Chief
- Europeans to Patrol African Coast Against Illegal Immigrants
- Challenges for EU-China Cooperation in Africa
- Merkel, Blair Highlight Need to Help Africa
- EU to Send Peacekeepers to Chad, CAR
Most Viewed >>
- Shanghai fuel oil futures jump 3.14%
- Fuel shortage as crude oil prices rocket
- CNOOC's 2 oil and gas fields start production in Bohai Bay
- More oil futures products needed
- Promoting civil servants
- New endeavor to build a harmonious world
- Chinese Oil Refining Business Under Pressure
- Will Raising Processed Oil Prices Push Up the CPI?
- Fuel oil futures trading robust
- Scientists seek keys to urban development

Product Directory
China Search
Country Search
Hot Buys
主站蜘蛛池模板: 天天看天天射天天碰| 色综合天天综合网国产成人网| 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区综合部 | 男男动漫全程肉无删减彩漫| 国产一区二区三区在线观看免费| 黄色网站在线免费观看| 无码一区二区三区中文字幕| 亚洲av人无码综合在线观看| 精品久久久久久国产| 国产成人精品男人的天堂网站| 一级毛片国产**永久在线| 柳岩aa一一级毛片| 免费看成人aa片无码视频吃奶| 91抖音在线观看| 在线播放高清国语自产拍免费| 久久久久久亚洲av无码蜜芽| 欧美日韩电影网| 变态拳头交视频一区二区| 色碰人色碰人视频| 天天天天躁天天爱天天碰2018| 久久亚洲私人国产精品va| 欧美极品在线观看| 亚洲老妈激情一区二区三区| 色偷偷88888欧美精品久久久| 欧美日韩国产网站| 天天爱天天做天天爽| 丝袜高跟浓精受孕h文| 日韩精品一区二区三区在线观看| 亚洲综合区小说区激情区| 真实国产乱子伦久久| 再深点灬舒服灬太大了短文d| 黄色免费在线网址| 国产欧美日韩精品a在线观看 | 日本久久久久亚洲中字幕| 亚洲国产香蕉视频欧美| 神马伦理电影看我不卡| 国产中文字幕在线免费观看| 韩国无遮挡羞羞漫画| 国产精品婷婷久青青原| 91精品一区二区三区久久久久 | 亚洲熟妇丰满多毛XXXX|