Kufuor emphasises Africa, Europe relationship

Lisbon, Portugal -- President of the African Union(AU), John Agyekum Kufuor, said the Africa-Europe Summit will provide the starting point of a new partnership based on mutual respect, assuring that Europe nee d s Africa as well as Africa does with Europe.

Speaking here Saturday, during the opening session of the second Africa-Europe summit, Kufuor said the meeting was built on the history of the two continents, saying Africa and Europe have always maintained same types of relationship.

He said Europe was particularly close to Northern Africa, as the two entities ha ve established trading and cultural relationships over centuries.

Going down memory lane, he cited the ties between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa through gold trade in the 15th century, saying however that the trade resulted in the slave trade that lasted three centuries before colonialism and apartheid came.

The Ghanaian President noted that Africa finally managed, in the early 1950s, to get rid of colonialism and apartheid two decades later.

He described the 500 years relationship between Africa and Europe as unfortunately painful, asserting that this was why the Lisboa summit was meant to re-adjust the relationship by launching a new type of partnership that would encourage business ties between Africa and Europe, and enable the African continent penetrate t he global market.

"The strategic partnership we are going to launch will surely be confronted with several challenges that we will have to overcome," said President Kufuor, addin g that Africa is now the new destination of world investments, due to the wealth h eld in its sub-soil.