End of first US-Africa Leaders Summit - President James Michel lauds President Obama for initiative
President James Michel has lauded United States President Barack Obama for the initiative to host African leaders to a summit aimed at fostering stronger business ties and promoting the positive side of Africa.
“It’s a new beginning and this first US-Africa Leaders Summit is the start of a new era of cooperation between the United States of America and the African continent. The US has decided to accompany Africa in its development and during the summit US President Barack Obama discussed with African leaders present to see in which direction this partnership should be heading,” said President Michel.
The President was speaking to the local media after attending the leaders’ summit on Wednesday -- the last of the three-day meeting from August 4-6, 2014 in Washington DC.
Mr Michel added: “I believe that with new global issues, the US has moved away from crisis management and giving aid to working in partnership with African countries. And this is what I, personally, have been advocating for some years now. In a globalised world, we need to work in partnership and create opportunities. President Obama’s proposal that American businesses invest in Africa and help African countries develop their raw potentials in different areas has been welcomed by the African leaders. These include areas like infrastructure development, agriculture for food security, and the ongoing African Energy programme. These investments will deepen US economic engagement in Africa, fueling growth that will support broader African prosperity and emerging markets for US businesses.”
President Michel added that during his intervention he placed a lot of emphasis on the blue economy and hopes that the US with its expertise in oceanographic researches can help Seychelles map out its blue economy plan. The same can be done in the region which can become a model for the rest of the world.
“It is this same concept that Seychelles will be bringing up during the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States from September 1-4, 2014 in Samoa. During my intervention at the US-Africa leaders summit I also placed emphasis on the plight of small island states of Africa. Africa is not only the mainland Africa but is also made up of African islands. These islands should not be marginalised as we develop the concept of partnership,” added President Michel who noted that because the islands are small and don't have the economies of scale, they should not be left aside.
Mr Michel explained that he is happy to note that Seychelles’ position got the backing of other African countries like Sierra Leone and islands in the Indian Ocean as well as Cabo Verde.
He added that it was a pleasure for him like other African leaders to meet President Obama and discuss pertinent issues.
“President Obama has personally congratulated Seychelles’ policy on climate change and environmental protection. He has also expressed the wish to one day come to Seychelles with his family. This will be something big for us,” concluded President Michel.
Meanwhile, in a press conference on Wednesday evening, President Obama called the meeting “an extraordinary event” that can be “a forcing mechanism for decisions and action, so we agreed that the US-Africa leaders summit will be a recurring event to hold ourselves accountable for our commitments and to sustain our momentum.”
The summit gave the United States a chance to reinforce its long-standing connection to the continent at a time when Europe and major economies such as China are expanding their foothold in Africa.
While the summit yielded a handful of high-profile announcements -- including new public and private investments in economic, agricultural and health development totaling US $33 billion -- it also featured the kind of behind-the-scenes diplomatic interactions that could produce meaningful benefits later on.
"First, we made important progress in expanding our trade. The US $33 billion in new trade and investments that I announced on Tuesday, will help spur African development and support tens of thousands of American jobs,” said President Obama.
"With major new commitments to our Power Africa initiative, we have tripled our goal and now
aim to bring electricity to 60 million African homes and businesses, and as I reiterated that we will continue to work with US Congress to achieve a seamless and long-term renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act," he added.
President Obama said during the leaders' session, it was agreed that Africa’s growth depends, first and foremost, on continued reforms in Africa, by Africans, and that the leaders pledged to step up efforts to pursue reforms that attract investment, reduce barriers that stifle trade, especially between African countries and to promote regional integration.
Mr Obama said the US government would increase its support to help build Africa’s capacity to trade with itself and with the world. "Ultimately, Africa’s prosperity depends on Africa’s greatest resource, which is its people, and I have been very encouraged by the desire of the leaders to partner with us in supporting young entrepreneurs, including through the Young African Leaders Initiative, now known as the 'Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders'.
"I also think there is an increasing recognition that if countries are going to reach their full economic potential, then they have to invest in women and their education, their skills, and protect them from gender-based violence, and the US government has announced a range of initiatives to help empower women across Africa," Obama told reporters.
“It’s a new beginning and this first US-Africa Leaders Summit is the start of a new era of cooperation between the United States of America and the African continent. The US has decided to accompany Africa in its development and during the summit US President Barack Obama discussed with African leaders present to see in which direction this partnership should be heading,” said President Michel.
The President was speaking to the local media after attending the leaders’ summit on Wednesday -- the last of the three-day meeting from August 4-6, 2014 in Washington DC.
Mr Michel added: “I believe that with new global issues, the US has moved away from crisis management and giving aid to working in partnership with African countries. And this is what I, personally, have been advocating for some years now. In a globalised world, we need to work in partnership and create opportunities. President Obama’s proposal that American businesses invest in Africa and help African countries develop their raw potentials in different areas has been welcomed by the African leaders. These include areas like infrastructure development, agriculture for food security, and the ongoing African Energy programme. These investments will deepen US economic engagement in Africa, fueling growth that will support broader African prosperity and emerging markets for US businesses.”
President Michel added that during his intervention he placed a lot of emphasis on the blue economy and hopes that the US with its expertise in oceanographic researches can help Seychelles map out its blue economy plan. The same can be done in the region which can become a model for the rest of the world.
“It is this same concept that Seychelles will be bringing up during the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States from September 1-4, 2014 in Samoa. During my intervention at the US-Africa leaders summit I also placed emphasis on the plight of small island states of Africa. Africa is not only the mainland Africa but is also made up of African islands. These islands should not be marginalised as we develop the concept of partnership,” added President Michel who noted that because the islands are small and don't have the economies of scale, they should not be left aside.
Mr Michel explained that he is happy to note that Seychelles’ position got the backing of other African countries like Sierra Leone and islands in the Indian Ocean as well as Cabo Verde.
He added that it was a pleasure for him like other African leaders to meet President Obama and discuss pertinent issues.
“President Obama has personally congratulated Seychelles’ policy on climate change and environmental protection. He has also expressed the wish to one day come to Seychelles with his family. This will be something big for us,” concluded President Michel.
Meanwhile, in a press conference on Wednesday evening, President Obama called the meeting “an extraordinary event” that can be “a forcing mechanism for decisions and action, so we agreed that the US-Africa leaders summit will be a recurring event to hold ourselves accountable for our commitments and to sustain our momentum.”
The summit gave the United States a chance to reinforce its long-standing connection to the continent at a time when Europe and major economies such as China are expanding their foothold in Africa.
While the summit yielded a handful of high-profile announcements -- including new public and private investments in economic, agricultural and health development totaling US $33 billion -- it also featured the kind of behind-the-scenes diplomatic interactions that could produce meaningful benefits later on.
"First, we made important progress in expanding our trade. The US $33 billion in new trade and investments that I announced on Tuesday, will help spur African development and support tens of thousands of American jobs,” said President Obama.
"With major new commitments to our Power Africa initiative, we have tripled our goal and now
aim to bring electricity to 60 million African homes and businesses, and as I reiterated that we will continue to work with US Congress to achieve a seamless and long-term renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act," he added.
President Obama said during the leaders' session, it was agreed that Africa’s growth depends, first and foremost, on continued reforms in Africa, by Africans, and that the leaders pledged to step up efforts to pursue reforms that attract investment, reduce barriers that stifle trade, especially between African countries and to promote regional integration.
Mr Obama said the US government would increase its support to help build Africa’s capacity to trade with itself and with the world. "Ultimately, Africa’s prosperity depends on Africa’s greatest resource, which is its people, and I have been very encouraged by the desire of the leaders to partner with us in supporting young entrepreneurs, including through the Young African Leaders Initiative, now known as the 'Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders'.
"I also think there is an increasing recognition that if countries are going to reach their full economic potential, then they have to invest in women and their education, their skills, and protect them from gender-based violence, and the US government has announced a range of initiatives to help empower women across Africa," Obama told reporters.
Forrás: www.nation.sc