“The twin presidency this year gives us a historic opportunity to bring new drive into development policy. We are going to use this opportunity,” said German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, speaking on the occasion of the development policy debate in the German Parliament. “We must not cease to fight on behalf of the poorest of the poor in the world. On the contrary, we must continue to intensify our efforts.
Africa is a focus of the German presidencies of the EU and the G8. We are championing sustainable, broad-based economic growth on our neighbouring continent. This will also mean promoting private investment. People need hopes for the future. Europe and the G8 will be reliable partners for Africa in that sense. We will also be lobbying within the European Union to ensure that the Economic Partnership Agreements with the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Region are pro-development and that the particular needs of the African countries are taken into account.
Moreover, we will step up our financial support for the fight against the terrible AIDS pandemic. Women above all are increasingly at risk of infection and sickness. This is another area where we will use the twin presidency to bring in new drive. The wave of sickness in Africa must finally be stemmed,” the Minister said. In addition to an international AIDS conference that is to take place in Bremen in March, the replenishment conference for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is also scheduled to be held in Germany at the end of 2007. “We have faith in Africa’s future; Africa is a continent of opportunity. As the holders of the twin presidencies we will lobby to make sure that Africa can use these opportunities,” German Development Minister Wieczorek-Zeul stressed.
