African Countries to Lift South-South Cooperation

(PANA)-- African countries are ready to play their roles in the establishment of a new South-South cooperation model with Latin America, the chairman the African Union (AU) Commission, Jean Ping, said as the 2nd Africa-South

America summit (ASA) rounded off in Margarita, Venezuela, Sunday. Ping said the way to build the new model was to boost friendship and exploit the real power of both continents, while also stressing the need to actualise the agreements reached during the1st ASA Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2006. ‘We should not conform with a diplomatic and political rhetoric because this time the credibility of the South-South cooperation is at risk,’ the AU commission chairman said.

He said the just-concluded summit was held within the atmosphere of a wonderful alliance formed between two continents, adding that the alliance had been fed by similar historical characteristics, same economic aspirations and the wish to establish a new international order. ‘Africa has the will to walk on the path of economic growth, during which a joint work based on mutual respect is needed,’ Ping said

Meanwhile, Latin American and African leaders have called for a rapid integration of both regions. Libyan leader and AU chairman Mouammar Kadhafi, who spoke at the summit, also called on the leaders to unite for their common interest and development. He also proposed the creation of an organisation that brings together the nations of South America and Africa, saying the organisation should be created immediately to provide a real platform in the South, which is similar to that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

‘This organisation could become a South Atlantic Treaty Organisation,’ Kadhafi said. ‘The goal is that all nations have the opportunity to participate actively in the decision-taking procedure about their development and are not subject to unilateral decisions by NATO or the Security Council of the United Nations.’

Also speaking, South African President Jacob Zuma said South-South cooperation between South America and Africa would contribute to the development of both regions. ‘Our relations have great potential for success that will achieve the long awaited development of our two continents,’ he said. Zuma also warned that failure to take into account the link between the two regions and the global economic crisis that has affected millions of poor people around the world would have worse consequences.

In his contributions, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stressed the need to translate the mechanisms established at the first ASA summit in 2006, adding: ‘At the first summit, two documents were approved, but it lacks performance. Three years later, the importance of these documents has decreased.’ Chavez proposed the creation of a mechanism of round-table of presidents or their advisers, to be dedicated exclusively to designing a strategic programme for the ASA.

‘We must give strategic vision and feasibility to the idea of integrating South America and Africa with the structuring and implementation of a working agenda for the period 2010-2020,’’ the host President said. He also proposed the creation of a bank of the ASA, saying ‘I already got the name of Bancasa for it. This bank could repatriate our reserves in the North to provide credit to ourselves’.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that ASA member countries had achieved concrete results since the 1st ASA Summit in Abuja in 2006, noting: ‘The South-South cooperation is the tool to build a fairer world.’ 15 African and six Latin American leaders attended the two-day summit.

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