State Secretary Buzatu: As an EU member-state, Romania will contribute to new alliance between Europe, Africa

State Secretary with the Prime Minister's own apparatus Tudor Buzatu stated on Tuesday that, in its quality of EU member state, Romania will contribute to the new alliance between Europe and Africa.

"As a member state of the European Union, Romania will contribute to the new alliance between Europe and Africa and will continue to appreciate very much the cooperation with the African continent," said Buzatu, at an event organized by the Group of African Ambassadors accredited in Bucharest.

He remarked the immense potential of Africa in what regards both human resources, as well as economic development, adding though that Africa still has to deal with a wide range of political and security crises. Buzatu made reference, among others, to the crisis in the Central African Republic and the one in Southern Sudan.

Buzatu also emphasized Romania's commitment regarding peace and security in Africa.

The State Secretary mentioned that Africa does not face only challenges and emphasized the remarkable progress recorded in different parts of the continent. Buzatu said that firstly there is an aspiration for widespread democracy, which means that African societies are ready to start on a new "political journey". Moreover, according to him, the determination of African governments to subscribe to commercial partnerships rather than receiving aid for development represents a positive development.

Buzatu stated that the EU is committed to supporting these aspirations, and the new alliance between Europe and Africa, launched in 2018, reflects the determination of all EU member states regarding the development of durable economic partnerships with Africa.

"Africa must find African solutions to the challenges it will face. (...) We hail the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a very important initiative, which will increase economic exchanges between African countries, as well as the freedom of movement on the continent. In this context, we are confident that the Egyptian Presidency of the African Union will be a success story," said the State Secretary.

Taous Djellouli, dean of the Group of African Ambassadors accredited in Bucharest and Algeria's ambassador in Bucharest, drew attention to the fact that Africa has a considerable potential for growth.

She mentioned that European countries represent the first partner for Africa and their closest neighbours.

The Ambassador appealed to the partners of African countries to consider the African continent as a dynamic space, which is actively involved in developing the world economy.

In her opinion, the ambitions shared in a partnership must result in a shift in paradigm, from the vision of a continent reduced to a simple aid receiver or source for raw materials and consumer markets, a continent with crises and conflicts, to that of a dynamic economic space.

"Together with us Europe will contribute to reaching the development objectives of the 2063 Agenda of the African Union and the 2030 Agenda for Durable Development, through the encouragement and promotion of efficient partnerships, both public, as well as public-private and by involving civil society, especially those that share trans-regional expertise. In this sense, Romania, whose expertise is recognized, can be a powerful partner in the realm of innovation and digitization and in exploiting the potential of the digital transformation of our societies and economies. We must explore the way in which new technology has changed Africa," said Taous Djellouli.

She said that Africa's expectations impose the necessity of involving international partners in a sustained effort to consolidate the human capacity for development.

"The demographic evolution is a major challenge for our continent, but also for Europe, because we must prepare the young generation, to offer them jobs. Our ambition is to give them the hope that to live in their own country, to develop it and be a part of its destiny," the Ambassador added.