In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday 29 May, President of the Republic of Guinea Alpha Condé said he was counting on the European Parliament's support to step up cooperation between the European Union and his country, as well as cooperation between the EU and Africa.
Condé, who chaired the African Union (AU) at the AU-EU summit in Abidjan in November 2017 (see EUROPE 19916) and who has worked for the Guinea's democratic progress since 2010, is aware of the challenges to be met "to stem the deep-rooted causes of poverty" and to put Guinea and Africa on the path to sustainable development.
He called for an increase in the partnership's power, underlining the importance of industrialisation for Africa "to keep our young people at home". His defence for adequate financing of "'the Marshall plan for Africa', launched by Germany that will favour a win-win partnership", coincides with the ambitions of European Parliament President Antonio Tajani.
"The EU would need to dedicate a share of GDP comparable with that allocated to the Marshall plan" of the USA, Condé said.
Thanking the EU for "its constant efforts to support good governance, the fight against irregular migration and against climate change", Condé hailed the regular political dialogue between his country and the EU under the Cotonou Agreement (Article 8). In March 2017, this focused on migration and the fight against corruption. "We welcome the framework for exchange that favours mutual understanding", he said.
Mentioning the 2063 Agenda for Africa, which involves the single market for air transport and the African continental free trade area, Condé said: "we want to build a stable Africa and economies whose growth is of benefit to everyone. We want to make Africa an emerging economy while avoiding competition between our states. We want to invest in transport and energy infrastructure. That is why, at COP 21, we launched an African initiative for renewable energy aiming to develop a capacity of 300 gigawatts by 2030".
Tajani congratulated Condé for "the extraordinary work" that has enabled Guinea to move out of the Ebola crisis, to consolidate democracy and human rights in the country and to make the country one of the most dynamic economies in Africa with a growth rate of 6% of GDP. He also underlined the challenges to be addressed – the fight against corruption, the lack of infrastructure, improvement of the business environment, and youth unemployment.
"The EU must play a role. Climate change and migration are common challenges. That is why we are calling for 'economic diplomacy'. More funds are needed in the future EU budget in order to finance a Marshall plan focused on economic diversification that can provide a manufacturing base enabling the absorption of new arrivals on the labour market", Tajani said.
Tajani also paid tribute to Condé's work at the helm of the AU, mentioning Morocco's return to the organisation, the boost given to the continental free trade area, and the summit in Abidjan at the end of November 2017. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)