The African Union Commission, through the Department of Economic Affairs, has organized a Consultative Meeting on the Implementation of the First Action Plan of the Joint Strategy, scheduled to take place from 14-15 April 2008, in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. The Consultative meeting covers the Eastern and the Southern Regions of the Continent and discusses the implementation and monitoring of the Joint Africa-Eu Strategy and the Action Plan.
The first day of the second consultation meeting took place in the presence of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho, H.E Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa, the African Union Permanent Representative in Brussels, Ambassador M.S. Annadif, 15 representatives from the AU Member States ( Angola, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe), the European Delegation, Private Sector, Civil Society and other stakeholders.
In the opening speech, the Director of Economic Affairs of the African Union, Dr. Rene, N’Guettia Kouassi, said the Maseru Regional Consultative meeting provides the opportunity for the different parties to express their views on concrete actions to be undertaken for the implementation of the eight partnerships stipulated in the First Africa-EU Action Plan. “Today’s meeting is therefore, aimed at collecting your views and your inputs on the approach the Commission intends to take to ensure the effective implementation of this First Action Plan.”, he stressed in the end.
Dr Kouassi underlined that Africa must take its responsibility in the implementation and should never disappoint in the process.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho, H.E. Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa emphasized the importance of EU-Africa Relations in a time where globalisation becomes evident and the world has become increasingly interdependent.
All eight partnership have been considered during the workshop and discussed in detail. As soon as the report will be published it is available on our website.
Press Release 14.04.2008 – doc
Press Release 15.04.2008 – doc
Read more in the Press Release – doc
Read more about the Consultative Meeting in Burkina Faso – html
