AFRICA/LIBYA - Third African Union-European Union Summit

Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) - Immigration, trade, regional integration, energy and climate change, agriculture, and peace and security are the central themes of the third inter-governmental Summit between the European Union and the African Union, which opened 29 November in Tripoli, Libya and will conclude today, 30 November.
In his opening speech, the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi affirmed that Africa and Europe have failed to develop an economic association and warned that for Africa, at the moment there are only two options: “cooperate on a par with Europe or turn to Latin America, China and Russia.”
The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, replied to the Libyan leader that the summit in Tripoli “is in itself a strong signal. Europe and Africa have huge potential and it is up to us to work together to not lose the opportunities that open before us.”
The President of the Commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, said the existence of a “common strategy was initiated by the previous two European Union-African Union Summits, the first in 2000 in Cairo and the second in 2007 in Lisbon.” Ping asked that “the two sides commit to restoring proper balance between politics and development in the quest to put in place a common strategy.”
The President of the African Commission noted in particular the issue of EPAs (Economic Partnership Agreements) to substitute the old system of commercial trade between Europe and Africa, judged incompatible with World Trade Organization rules. The opening of European markets to African goods is one of the most important issues being discussed at the Summit.
80 countries are involved at the Summit. Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir canceled his attendance at the last minute. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, the western region of Sudan at war since 2003. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 30/11/2010)