Welcome Address  by The Honourable Mohlabi K. TSEKOA Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho President of the ACP Council of Ministers on the occasion of the visit by H.E. Mr. John A. KUFUOR,  President of the Republic of Ghana to the  85th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers from 11:30 to 12:30 on Thursday 24 May 2007

Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana,

Honourable Ministers,

Distinguished Ambassadors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the ACP Council of Ministers, I welcome His Excellency Mr. John KUFUOR, President of the Republic of Ghana, and his delegation to ACP House.   

Mr. President,

It is also an honour and a pleasure for us to welcome you as the President-in-Office of the African Union.

In choosing you to represent them at the helm of the African Union, the African leaders have paid a fitting tribute to your wisdom and vision, and to the active role that Ghana has long played in promoting democratic governance, respect for the rule of law and African integration.

Mr. President,

The partnership formed over thirty (30) years ago with the countries of the European Union has indeed contributed a great deal to the development of our countries, but the objectives that we have set for ourselves involve tremendous challenges.

Our primary objective has always been and continues to be the fight against poverty, while we are faced with an extremely difficult and unpredictable economic situation worldwide.

In that respect, it is reassuring to note that the revised Cotonou Agreement has placed that objective high among its priorities.

It is unacceptable today, at the dawn of the third millennium, that a significant portion of the world population, located primarily in the southern hemisphere, should lack access to basic vital elements, that is, water, food, shelter, education and healthcare.

The fight against poverty and the priorities arising from the millennium development goals call for considerable investment on the part of our countries, which themselves are in need of increased support from our development partners.

Mr. President,

Constructing the peaceful and prosperous world that we all dream of, requires that we mobilise our efforts to bridge the immense gap between rich and poor, and developed and less developed countries in the framework of an indicative dialogue that takes account of every concern.

Indeed, dialogue and consultation constitute the best approach since they enable countries to address issues in a frank manner without masking any, and they promote consensus which in turn gives rise to decisions that are taken freely.

In this context, the revised Cotonou Agreement confers an enhanced political role on our Group, especially for the promotion of democratic processes through dialogue and consultation.

Democracy cannot be envisaged, or established, or even consolidated without peace. Indeed, without peace nothing durable can be undertaken and any effort towards development is futile.

This is why the entire ACP Group has welcomed the creation of the Facility for Peace in Africa which is intended to support the peacekeeping operations undertaken by the African Union. Thanks to the effective support and solidarity of our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the amount of 300 million Euro has been set aside under the 10^th EDF to cover the needs of the Peace Facility for Africa.

In the light of the major challenges ahead of the ACP Group, I would like to underscore the need to conclude the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union on schedule. The economic future of our countries depends on them. Indeed, if they are to remain true to the spirit of the Cotonou Agreement, in particular with regard to the gradual and harmonious integration of the ACP States into the world economy, the Economic Partnership Agreements must contribute to the sustainable development of our States.

We can rise to that challenge by making a joint commitment to maintain and strengthen the unity and solidarity of the ACP Group in the framework of these negotiations.

In fact, it is only the unity and solidarity of the ACP Group that will convince the European Union to meet our legitimate demands in the framework of the EPA negotiations.

Faced with a partner as powerful as the European Union, cohesiveness and fidelity are two important assets to ensure our concerns are taken into account.

Mr. President,

Following these few words, and as is customary when we receive a distinguished guest, I would now like to invite Sir John KAPUTIN, the Secretary-General of the ACP Group, to take the floor to present you to the ACP Council of Ministers.