“The topic that most concerns us is the spread of terrorism, violence and fanaticism”, and what is needed is stronger cooperation. Minister Bonino is in Dakar, where she met with her Senegalese colleague Mankeur Ndiaye and opened a meeting open to the participation of various government ministers in which she stressed that relations “between our two countries are good” and that, in any case, this was an opportunity to “strengthen them”. Her meeting with the Senegalese minister centred on security, economic and cultural cooperation and major international themes such as the activities of the International Criminal Court and the campaign to abolish the death penalty.
Senegal, a priority of the Italian Cooperation with good opportunities for investment in small and medium sized enterprises, is the second leg of Bonino’s first African tour as minister, who arrived in Dakar after two days in Ghana. Her meeting agenda is a busy one; in addition to the Senegalese authorities, she will also be visiting with the Italian community and members of the civil society, among which representatives of NGOs engaged in the struggle against female genital mutilation. Two days to review relations and set future priorities, beginning with a 2014-2016 Country Programme earmarking 45 million euro in aid for investment in agriculture, rural development, support for the private sector and social welfare.
06 gennaio 2014
Bonino in Senegal, second leg of African tour
Senegal, an Italian Cooperation priority and good opportunity for investment in small and medium sized enterprises, is the second leg of Minister Emma Bonino’s African tour, where she arrived after a two-day stop in Ghana.
Her busy agenda will include discussions on security and development, the 2015 Milan EXPO (Senegal will be participating), human rights and gender equality, along with a series of meetings with the Senegalese authorities, first and foremost with Prime Minister Aminata Tourè, a former activist and UN officer and the second woman to fill the position in that African country.
Bonino will also meet with President Marky Sall, Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye, and the ministers for justice, the economy, agriculture, women and children and culture. She also plans to meet with the Italian community and members of the civil society, including representatives of the NGOs engaged in the struggle against female genital mutilation.
The two-day visit will serve to review relations and set future priorities, starting with a 2014-2016 Country Programme that envisages a 45-million euro investment in agriculture and rural development, support for private enterprise and social protection.
A stable political hub with a growing economy that joins Italy and Europe in combating piracy and promoting regional stability. Western Africa begins with Ghana, whose prospects with Italy were confirmed by Minister Bonino. Now on the second leg of her Africa mission, in Dakar, Minister Bonino was assured by Ghana’s Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hannah Tetteh and the women of the NGOs, of the concrete expectations for increased growth with the help of Italy, an historical partner ready to confirm its confidence and commitment.
Stability
On the strength of the stability that, since 1992, has paved the way to successful elections, Ghana is involved on all fronts, and is asking for “very broad based” bilateral collaboration with Italy at intelligence levels in order to combat piracy. Ghana is ready to do its part for the region’s stability, with over 80,000 troops engaged in 30 peacekeeping missions around the world, and confirms its strategy not to pull back and recent decision to double its presence in South Sudan.
Economic growth
Spurred by an average annual growth rate of 7%, which could shift Ghana by 2015 from the status of poor to medium income country, according to World Bank standards, small and medium sized enterprises are striving to expand; raw materials abound – from the fossil fuels deposits discovered by ENI to gold, diamonds and manganese – and agriculture shows ample room for improvement and streamlining. Not to mention cacao, of which Ghana is the world’s second largest producer, and which will be the showpiece of the country’s 2015 Milan EXPO pavilion.
Boosting countries at“midstream”
It is no accident that Bonino chose Ghana for her first visit south of the Sahara as foreign minister. “We have to stop thinking of Africa as the only continent in difficulty”, since “our role” is instead that of “boosting those countries now at midstream that have strong institutions and where consideration of human and civil rights goes hand in hand with governance”, the minister asserted, who intends to “put the spotlight back on Africa as a country not to be viewed solely as a land in crisis but that has major growth potential”. With regard to human rights, the situation is decidedly better, compared with the African average, and there is no “legislated discrimination” for women, Bonino pointed out, even though the culture and traditions still make the application of full equality an “uphill climb”.
