Global General

Spain unveils new Africa Plan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-22 19:15

WINDHOEK, Namibia: Spanish Ambassador to Namibia on Thursday unveiled the 2009-2012 Africa Plan that is structured into six operational principles designed to support peace and security and consolidating democracy on the continent.

Other components of the ambitious Africa Plan are to combat hunger and poverty, the promotion of investment and trade relations fomenting sustainable socio-economic development, forging partnerships on migration, reinforcing the multilateral relationship between Spain and Africa and with the European Union (EU), consolidating the political and institutional profile and nurturing Spanish diplomacy through Casa.

The unveiling ceremony of the far-reaching Plan by Spanish Ambassador to Namibia Alfonso Barnuevo was witnessed by Namibia's Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku and several ministers and members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Windhoek.

"Spain believes that Africa is a key player in the 21st century, with its own voice and sometimes different views than ours, western countries, but equally valid: today, the opinion of African leaders is taken into higher consideration, and whatever happens in Africa is important to the world as a whole," stated Barnuevo.

"With the Africa Plan, we want to synchronise our heart-beat to that of the African continent, we want a closer relation with Africa -- a region of the world that is working hard to strengthen its heart in the 21st century," said the Spanish ambassador.

The consolidation of peace and security on the African continent and the furthering and revitalizing democracy and the effective application of human rights while fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the ensuring there is stable development are some of the issues foreseen as being thorny in the continental implementation of the plan.

Spain sees its opportunity of being at the helm of the EU presidency in 2010 as a fundamental opportunity to move forward on the EU's challenges in Africa and to help meet the objectives in the 2009-2012 Africa Plan.

It says the new instrument (2009-2012 Africa Plan) is borne out of an evaluation of the first plan covering the period 2006-2008 Plan and that like the previous initiative the current plan is an upshot of a "comprehensive process of deliberation and consultation."