Historic Africa-South America Summit ends

From Kwaku Osei Bonsu, GNA Special Correspondent Abuja, Nigeria

Abuja, Nov. 30 GNA - The historic and first-ever Summit of Heads of State and Governments of Africa and South America ended in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Thursday with a call on the two regions to move from declaration to more active action.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said their shared historical and contemporary realities and challenges should serve as basis for mutual co-operation and partnership.

"Therefore, our countries have a duty to assist each other and develop a framework for addressing our socio-economic and development challenges separately and collectively on the basis of best practice and peer assistance", he said.

President John Agyekum Kufuor was among the leaders that attended the Summit, which has brought together 47 countries from Africa and 11 from South American to find a common ground for greater co-operation. President Obasanjo, who was a co-chairman of the meeting, said it should mark the beginning of an enduring partnership between them. "Our objective here, therefore, should be to give further impetus and practical expression to the ideals of south-south co-operation, which has for long engaged the attention of our two regions in various multi-lateral forums."

He noted that in spite of changes in the international system over the past four decades, the rationale for south-south co-operation as an important vehicle of partnership and development among the poor and developing countries in the world had been reinforced than diminished. "The need for us as developing countries to rally to our own assistance remains important, given the increasing economic and financial gap between the rich and poor nations of the world."

To this end, he said, the meeting should evolve the framework for implementing and sustaining cooperation and strategic partnership between Africa and South America.

He mentioned agriculture, agri-allied sector; trade and investment; energy; water resources development; air transportation and telecommunications; peace and security as areas that should engage more attention.

President Obasanjo suggested that the Forum should be put on a sustainable and regular framework of dialogue, assessment and progress. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, said it was an expression of a new beginning between Africa and South America and promised of more support from his country for Africa. Already, the renowned Brazilian Agricultural Research Institute, EMBRAPA, was establishing a presence in Africa to assist to revolutionalise agriculture on the Continent.