President Sata with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Namibia’s President Hifikepunye Pohamba after attending the SADC meeting on the sidelines of the 22nd Ordinary Session of African Union at the AU Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 30,2014 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
From JERRY MUNTHALI in Addis Ababa
PRESIDENT Sata has urged African leaders to resolve against being
divided by outside forces in their multilateral trade negotiations.
Speaking when he made an intervention during the 22nd Ordinary Session
of the African Union (AU) heads of state and government summit here today, Mr Sata said African leaders have resolved to speak with one voice at the summit.
“In order to break the current impasse on the economic partnership
agreements and indeed in order for Africa to achieve the required
success in multilateral trade, we strongly urge the African Union
Commission to make arrangements for our cabinet representatives to
meet sometime in March and map out a strategy for those negotiations
as well as to agree on what the best position for Africa is,” Mr Sata
said.
He also said the summit cannot end without placing on record
appreciation for economic communities which have advanced their
negotiations aimed at boosting intra-Africa trade towards the
establishment of the continental Free Trade Area.
“It is encouraging as heads of state, we want to commend the Southern
African Development Community, Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa and East African Community who are expected to sign an
agreement in June 2014 to establish an enlarged market covering 26
countries in East and Southern Africa with a combined population of
600 million,” Mr Sata said.
He added: “We ought to learn from each other’s strengths as I am aware
that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also
advanced towards establishing a monetary union of West African States.
At our June summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, we should be
furnished with the appropriate reports I have referred to in my
statement.”
Earlier, the President said there is need for a peaceful and prosperous Africa.
“We have to start putting in place concrete measures to realise
Africa’s dream from 2013. The economic integration of Africa and
control cannot be realised without opening up trade between and among
ourselves the members states of the African Union,” Mr Sata said.
He said as African countries increase production, they have resolved
to be serious about agro-processing and industrialisation.
The President also said there is need to know the comparative
advantage of member countries for the purpose of trade.
“To this effect, therefore, I am proposing that we, the heads of state
and government, direct the AU commission through the department of
trade and industry, to prepare a list of member states, comparative
advantage or goods and items we can profitably trade with each other,”
Mr Sata said.