EU/AFRICA: Ireland has taken an initiative to improve the European Union's relationship with Africa by securing agreement for a meeting of EU and African foreign ministers in Dublin on April 1st next year, halfway through Ireland's European presidency.
At a meeting in Maputo yesterday, the Mozambique Foreign Minister, Mr Leonardo Simao, accepted a proposal from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, to hold the Dublin meeting.
Since Mozambique currently chairs the African Union, the continent's equivalent of the EU, Mr Simao was speaking on behalf of all African Union member-states.
Relations between the EU and the African Union suffered a setback last April when a summit meeting was postponed after African governments insisted that Zimbabwe be allowed to attend, despite the EU's travel ban on members of the Robert Mugabe government.
However, Mr Cowen's officials were keen to point out that the Dublin meeting was not a summit, as it was confined to foreign ministers from the so-called "Troika". This means that only past and present holders of the EU and AU presidencies will attend as well as representatives of the EU and AU commissions or secretariats.
At a joint press conference with his Mozambique counterpart, Mr Cowen, who is currently on an official visit to South Africa and Mozambique, said there should be greater dialogue between the EU and Africa.
Referring to Ireland, the Minister said: "We have a deep commitment to Africa as a country. Historically, we have always been identified with the independence struggles of African nations in the decolonisation process and we now want to go beyond these issues, as Africans (also) do, to address modern problems in a modern way."
He said a major item on the agenda would be the €250 million "Peace Facility", which has been agreed in principle by the EU as a means of supporting African Union peacekeeping efforts. Officials said it was expected this fund would come into operation during the Irish presidency.
Mr Cowen said the precise agenda would depend on "developments between now and then" but it would clearly include conflict resolution, development issues, economic co-operation between the two continents, "and also continuing political questions like Zimbabwe".
However he stressed that Zimbabwe was not the only issue and that "the EU-Africa dialogue is not a one-item agenda".
Mr Simao said: "We'll be there."
A key issue for Africans was peaceful development so that the continent could utilise its vast resources to feed its people and overcome poverty. Likewise, the science and technology resources existed to control such diseases as HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB but "stable peace" was a necessary prerequisite for this. "We are making a lot of progress," Mr Simao said.
There had been fewer and less-violent conflicts in Africa in recent years and mechanisms were being developed to control these conflicts. "Europe is an important partner of Africa for peaceful development," he said.
At a meeting later with the president of Mozambique, Mr Joaquim Chissano, Mr Cowen said: "The development of good relations between the EU and the AU will be an important aim for Ireland during our presidency.
"In particular, the EU-Africa dialogue remains a crucial tool and Ireland will work towards developing the dialogue and enhancing its effectiveness."
During his visit to Mozambique, which continues today, Mr Cowen is reviewing development projects funded by the aid division of his department, formerly Ireland Aid but recently renamed as Development Co-operation Ireland.
DCI is donating €34 million to Mozambique this year and this is scheduled to increase by a further €3 million in 2004. Listed by the United Nations as one of the poorest countries in the world, Mozambique is among the six principal recipients of Irish development aid, along with Uganda, Lesotho, Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia.