Fear of colonial-type relationship between Africa and Asian emerging economies is largely misplaced, says Ethiopian Prime Minister

Addis Ababa, 22 June 2007 - Fear of a re-emerging colonial-type relationship between India, China and African countries, is largely misplaced, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles Zenawi, said today in Addis Ababa at the opening of the final meeting of the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA).

In an opening speech, Prime Minister Zenawi called on African countries to improve their manpower and add value to their products by processing and manufacturing them, and working together with Asian drivers to change the rules of the global game.

GCA was established 17 years ago to catalyze Africa's political and economic development through open exchange of frank and constructive dialogue between Africans and their development partners at a time when Africa faced marginalization in an environment of widespread conflict and instability.

At that time, said Zenawi, Co-Chair of GCA “we needed a forum for discussion on a wide range of issues in an open manner outside the context of negotiations for aid.”

He said the GCA had succeeded in achieving its objectives and that many of the sensitive issues, such as good governance, peace and economic development, it dealt with had now been mainstreamed in Africa.

Issues on the agenda of the final GCA meeting, include the management of natural resources in Africa and the relationship between African countries and emerging economies in Asia.

Participants will also explore ways of securing a prudent management of earnings from exports of minerals and other extractive resources to achieve higher growth rates and development objectives.

They will also weigh all aspects of the expanding trade and investment cooperation between Africa and emerging economies such as India and China to enable African countries take an optimal advantage of the opportunities arising from the new partnership.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and African Development Bank will, from now on, carry forward the objectives of the GCA.