APS : Sunday, 02 July 2017
ADDIS ABABA-Algeria is a “key partner” because it has always had a united vision of the African continent, the facilitator of EU-ACP countries (European Union-Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) Louis Michel stressed Sunday in Addis Ababa.
“Algeria is an extremely important country for Europe since it has always had a united vision of the African continent,” said Michel after his audience with Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel on the sidelines of the 31st session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU).
This partnership is “an advantage” for the EU, said the same official, who pleased for a “new philosophy of cooperation between Europe and African, which will be more comprehensive,” particularly in the economic field.
“Europe seeks to share a comprehensive, political and more economic policy, but much less charitable and less based on a kind of dependency.
As regards common projects between the two continents, Michel Louis stated that “many opportunities are conceivable, particularly in infrastructures, energy and security.”
He recalled that he had been entrusted with a facilitation mission to prepare the next Cotonou agreement that will end in 2020, and announced that “negotiations will start by the end of this year.”
“One of the great ideas consists in broadening the space of these negotiations to all Africa to develop a win-win strategy between Europe and Africa,” he said.
