Decisions made at the G8 Gleneagles Summit last week mark an historic new step in fundamentally redefining the relationship between Africa and the countries of the North, President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday.
In his weekly newsletter on the African National Congress’ website, ANC Today, Mbeki said the discussions on the development of the African continent focused on the interlinked obligations of Africa and the Group of EIght (G8) arising out of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), and the G8 Africa Action Plan.
”As a country we are privileged that we had the possibility to contribute to the elaboration of Nepad [New Partnership for Africa’s Development], its adoption by the OAU and the AU, and the establishment of the partnership with the developed countries of the North, as expressed through the G8 Africa Action Plan and the
Africa Partnership Forum.”
The Gleneagles summit adopted concrete decisions involving the commitment of the necessary financial and other resources, to implement the integrated programmes identified in Nepad and the G8 Africa Action Plan.
These firm commitments included the critically important issues of peace on the continent, debt, trade, development assistance, economic growth, and the modernisation of African infrastructure.
”The Gleneagles decisions mark an historic new step in fundamentally redefining the relationship between Africa and the countries of the North,” he said.
Mbeki paid tribute to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, for the initiative they took to establish the Africa Commission, and the members of the commission, and others, including the business community in Africa, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world, who acted to advance the African agenda.
”We must also express our sincere appreciation for the enormous effort made by the artists, Bob Geldof, Bono, and others, to mobilise the masses of the people globally, to take up the cause of the poor of our continent, as they and others had acted to help us end the apartheid crime against humanity.”
Mbeki took the opportunity to extend South Africa’s sympathy and solidarity with the government and people of the United Kingdom, and the peoples of the world, ”for the human and material losses they and we suffered as a result of the heinous terrorist outrage perpetrated against residents of, and visitors to London”.
”This happened as representatives of 24 important countries and international organisations met in Great Britain to address matters of vital relevance to the pursuit of the goal of a better life for the billions of human beings who occupy our common globe, including the suffering people of Palestine,” Mbeki said. – Sapa