Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
The continent has been implored to unite in the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 towards increased intra-continental trade for development.
Building ‘The Africa We Want’ is a key target of the African Union by the year 2063 and as such, various policies and programmes have been put in place by the continental body for the sustainable development of Africa.
This emerged during an interface between Government and African diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe this Monday.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, who presided over the meeting, highlighted the importance of AU member states coming together to boost intra-continental trade.
“Your Excellencies, we are just 39 years away from the African Union Agenda 2063. Our ambitious blueprint transformed our continent. In this regard, we are making efforts to silence the guns in line with the AU clarion call, although isolated conflicts or spots present immediate challenges. Let us remain committed to working towards addressing peace and security issues in line with African solutions to African problems, as opposed to the reliance on external forces who may be complicit in some of the conflicts.
“Despite our excellent relations, political relations, Your Excellencies, it is worrying that intra-African trade remains low. The advent of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AFCTA, is a welcome development that should reverse this state of affairs and enable us to recalibrate our efforts towards benefiting from the single market for goods and services across our continent. As we create a bigger market for our goods and services, we should jealously guard against such a market benefiting other regions. The market should benefit Africa first, hence the imperative to enhance local productive practices on our continent. Let us strive to continuously advance common African positions and interests towards the transformation of our countries on the continent for the benefit of our peoples. Our salvation lies in local production, in intra-regional trade, and not aid,” he said.
The Dean of African Groups of Ambassadors in Zimbabwe and Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Jose Ela Ebang said unity among African countries will move the continent forward.
“We commend the Republic of Zimbabwe’s contribution to the realisation of the Africa We Want, with a goal for inclusive and sustainable development and a Pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African nations, as you rightly stated. Honourable Minister, may I also take this opportunity to express our solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe during the challenging period of the severe drought caused by the El Nino-induced effects. As climate change worsens globally, and in Southern Africa particularly, urgent actions on climate emergencies are imperative,” said Ambassador Ebang.
From meeting the African envoys, Professor Murwira went on to meet BRICS representatives in the country, where he stressed the importance of bilateral and multilateral ties for economic growth.
He noted, “Zimbabwe sees BRICS partnership as a catalyst for global growth and development, a partnership that is strongly meaningful for all nations. In this regard, it is the right of Africa and the entire Global South to fully reap the benefits of global trade and investment. Without trade and investment, our economies cannot thrive, and the livelihoods for our people cannot improve. Your Excellencies, we wish to appreciate the importance of BRICS partnership and the new development plan for leading in the efforts to increase the resilience of the Global South and the world at large, and to bring fairness to global trade and financial systems by strengthening the use of BRICS services. Your Excellencies, we have to reform the moderate bilateral trading system so that we create a conducive environment for investment and fair trade. By working together, sharing skills and capabilities, mobilising resources, we shall be able to give renewed indicators to global growth and renewed and sustained development.”
Dean of the BRICS Group of Ambassadors and Russia’s envoy to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Nikolai Krasilnikov said the group acknowledges the deep ties that exist between the countries and the drive towards inclusive development.
He said, “Brics accounts for 40% of the global population and as such, we are growing to become a force in economic growth globally and we acknowledge the engagements that we have with Zimbabwe and this will push for increased south to south cooperation.”
Accounting for nearly 40% of the global population, BRICS plus is a grouping of nations that include Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa, with Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran joining the body in January this year.
