Africa-Arab talks present window of opportunity-AU  

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 11:25:29 +0000

Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) -THE Africa-Arab summit presents a window of opportunity for both African and Arab countries, says chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

At the opening of the summit yesterday in Malabo, Ms Zuma said Africa and the Arab region shared a common past and future.

President Edgar Lungu was yesterday among heads of state and government from Africa and the Arab world that attended the fourth Africa-Arab summit here.

ZANIS reports that Ms Zuma said the summit presented a window of opportunity for Africa and Arab countries to find strategies to grow the economies of the two regions and that they should be people-centred.

She said while the two regions had experienced progress, there have also been conflicts, aggression and terrorism, with terrible consequences on people, especially women, children and the elderly.

Ms Zuma said the two regions must continue to strengthen their cooperation and jointly tackle common concerns, using different comparative advantages to build a partnership based on mutual respect and solidarity.

And Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said peace in the two regions was a precondition for sustainable development.

He said there was need for the two regions to work together in finding strategies that would improve the lives of the people.

The summit was expected to consider the report of the chairperson of AUC and the secretary general of the League of Arab states on the implementation of the resolutions of the third Africa-Arab summit.

The summit would also consider the recommendations of the joint council of ministers of foreign affairs.