Leaders and delegates attending the 3rd Africa-EU summit pose for a group photo in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Nov. 29, 2010. Leaders from African countries and the European Union (EU) on Monday vowed to jointly promote peace, stability and economic growth, three years after the two continents launched a new strategic partnership. (Xinhua/POOL)
TRIPOLI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said at the third Africa-EU Summit on Monday that the EU will continue to assume its responsibilities to aid Africa's full economic growth.
Van Rompuy, co-chairman of the summit, said Africa has the world's greatest potential, however, Africa's development to its full potential cannot be done through foreign aid alone, but through both domestic growth and more international cooperation, and EU will continue to assume its responsibilities in this regard.
He noted that EU remains committed to increasing its aid spending to reach the collective target of 0.7 percent of gross national income by 2015.
"We assume that over the next three years more than 50 billion euros of aid will be made available to support the overall objective of our partnership (with Africa)," he said, while pointing out that the ultimate responsibility for Africa's success yet rests with the governments and peoples of Africa.
The first Africa-EU summit was launched in Cairo in 2000. At their second summit in Lisbon in 2007, the two continents adopted the Joint EU-Africa Strategy (JEAS) at their second summit held in Lisbon in December 2007, which decided to move their relations from the traditional donor-beneficiary relationship to an equal one based on the pursuit of common objectives.
Van Rompuy said the first summit launched the process, the second one defined the new agenda, while the third one here in Tripoli should produce concrete results, and that is why the third summit is of the theme "investment, economic growth and job creation."
He called on leaders of both sides to act in order to catalyze change and reach results.
At the two-day summit, the leaders from 27 EU nations and 53 African countries are expected to review the cooperation of both sides in the past three years following they launched the new partnership in 2007, and outline priorities for future cooperation.
Van Rompuy also raised his concern over the challenges facing Africa-EU cooperation, citing armed conflicts that continue in several countries, terrorism supplied by networks in both Africa and Europe and climate change, among others.
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