Mauritian foreign minister pleads for revision of EPAs at ACP summit
Posted by africanpress on October 6, 2008
The Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Arvin Boolell who is presently attending a summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) in the Ghanaian capital, Accra has proposed to the summit the institution of a Troika of heads of state to visit some of the most important member states of the European Union (EU) to solicit their help concerning the revision of certain contentious clauses of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
Speaking on Sunday from Accra by video-conference, the Minister told journalists in the Mauritian capital Port Louis that he has recommended that the Troika should first visit the country that is presently holding the presidency of the EU, France, followed by the Czech Republic, Britain and Germany
Boolell indicated that he has also proposed that the ACP Council of Ministers “immediately examine the possibility of establishing an ACP free trade area using as a basis the trade concessions that they have individually or on a regional basis, granted to the European Union under the full or interim Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)”.
He added that at one of the summits of the heads of state, it had been decided to make a feasibility study on the question, but that there was no follow-up. The minister declared that the time was opportune to take the process forward and to adopt a decision on the issue.
Boolell added that he pleaded for a new dynamic and strengthened ACP group with a clear mandate and a clear road-map and observed that he raised the question of regional conflicts in Africa. He told the assembly that with the human suffering, environmental degradation, destruction of social and physical infrastructure, these conflicts are a blot on the face of Africa and are having devastating effects.
Minister Boolell is representing the Mauritian Prime Minister, Dr Navinchadra Ramgoolam at the summit.
———–
API/Source.apa
