GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet decides on new Africa policy to reflect the continent's "growing importance", focusing on energy and commodities

Record ID: 455727

  • Title: GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet decides on new Africa policy to reflect the continent's "growing importance", focusing on energy and commodities
  • Date: 16th June 2011
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JUNE 15, 2011) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS SOME FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL ARRIVING FOR ROUTINE WEEKLY CABINET MEETING WHERE THIS WEEK, HER CABINET DECIDED ON NEW AFRICA POLICY, MERKEL SHAKING HANDS WITH DEVELOPMENT MINISTER DIRK NIEBEL, THEN WALKING TO FOREIGN MINISTER GUIDO WESTERWELLE AND SHAKING HANDS, ECONOMY MINISTER PHILIPP ROESLER ARRIVING AND JOINING MERKEL AND OTHERS WIDE OF CABINET TABLE WITH MERKEL LOOKING AT DOCUMENT CAMERA PEOPLE FILMING ROESLER SITTING DOWN NEXT TO MERKEL WIDE OF CABINET MEETING PAN FROM WESTERWELLE TO MERKEL SEATED VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF FOREIGN MINISTRY WHERE WESTERWELLE HOSTED CONFERENCE ON GERMANY'S NEW AFRICA POLICY VARIOUS OF WESTERWELLE SHAKING HANDS WITH AMBASSADORS AND OTHER DIGNITARIES WIDE OF WESTERWELLE GETTING UP ON PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYING: "We want to open a new chapter in the relations with our neighbouring continent. We want to take into consideration the growing importance of Africa. Our goal is to make use of the potentials of our cooperation based on partnership, to benefit the people in Africa. At the same time, this is also in our own interest." AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYING: "Energy and commodities partnerships with African states, such as for example with Nigeria must not only secure and diversify our energy and commodities supplies in the long term. With the modernisation of the current infrastructure and transparency when it comes to proceeds we also want to ensure that people profit from the energy resources in their own countries." WIDE OF WESTERWELLE SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYING: "The large majority of people in Africa is striving for democracy, rule of law and the respect for human rights. This goes for Harare just as it does for Cairo. The false belief that there are regions or cultures where people do not long for democracy and freedom is currently ending up on the garbage dump of history - also and especially in Africa." OFFICIALS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYING: "Since the turn of the millennium Africa's economy has been growing by about five percent annually. There is a reason why countries such as China, India or Brazil long ago eyed the African continent, certainly also based on their own interests which sometimes do not correspond with the values we Europeans envisage." WIDE OF WESTERWELLE SPEAKING
  • Embargoed: 1st July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: International Relations,Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEO72CJ1M57BZDC76FYR9AHZ1I
  • Story Text: Germany intends to open a "new chapter" in its relations with Africa, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Berlin on Wednesday (June 15).
    Speaking to an assembly of diplomats and other dignitaries at the foreign ministry, Westerwelle said "we want to take into consideration the growing importance of Africa. Our goal is to make use of the potentials of our cooperation based on partnership, to benefit the people in Africa."
    "At the same time," Westerwelle added, "this is also in our own interest."
    Hours earlier, Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet decided on the policy change during its routine weekly meeting.
    "Energy and commodities partnerships with African states, such as for example with Nigeria must not only secure and diversify our energy and commodities supplies in the long term. With the modernisation of the current infrastructure and transparency when it comes to proceeds we also want to ensure that people profit from the energy resources in their own countries," said Germany's foreign minister.
    Westerwelle, whose country was overtaken by China as the world's largest exporter, also addressed Africa's economy, saying it "had been growing by about five percent annually" since the start of the new millennium.
    "There is a reason why countries such as China, India or Brazil long ago eyed the African continent, certainly also based on their own interests which sometimes do not correspond with the values we Europeans envisage," Westerwelle said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register