ALGIERS- Algeria will host the 20th meeting of African foreign ministers and their counterparts from the Nordic countries in May 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad announced on Tuesday, 14 June 2022.
This “consensual” decision was taken on the occasion of the 19th edition of the said meeting, held on Tuesday in Helsinki (Finland) with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ramtane Lamamra.
“The decision was taken after a closed session during which several African Ministers, notably from Niger, South Africa, Nigeria and Tanzania proposed, within the framework of the practice of rotation governing the functioning of this Group, which Algeria hosts and directs the work of the 20th edition scheduled for next year”, indicates a press release from the Ministry.
According to the same source, this proposal, “which caused the withdrawal of three African countries which had considered submitting their candidatures to host this event, was quickly supported by Finland and applauded by the participants who welcomed the emergence of ‘a consensus so quickly and so easily on a subject that usually requires broad and long consultations’.
On this occasion, the head of the Algerian diplomacy expressed his “heartfelt thanks” to his counterparts from African and Nordic countries for this mark of confidence “which testifies to the credibility enjoyed by Algeria at the continental and global levels with regard to its contributions in the promotion of peace and its efforts to carry the voice of Africa within all international forums”.
While assuring that it will be honored to assume this responsibility, Mr. Lamamra affirmed that Algeria “will spare no effort to ensure the success of this important meeting in the extension of the positive conclusions of the Helsinki meeting” .
Lamamra highlights Africa’s efforts in conflict prevention
In addition, Mr. Lamamra, who co-chaired with his Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, the work of the first session of the 19th meeting of African and Nordic heads of diplomacy, devoted to issues of peace and security in the world with a particular focus on Africa, highlighted “the efforts made by the continent in terms of conflict prevention and resolution and pleaded for greater support from the international community”, notes the Ministry.
The same source specifies that “Lamamra notably underlined that the security threats currently raging in Africa, such as terrorism, violent extremism, transnational crime, and different types of conflicts, including those induced by climate change, are all global in scope and impact and therefore call for more concerted responses through inclusive approaches based on mutual respect and cooperation (…)”.
“In this perspective, Mr. Lamamra indicated that the partnerships established with Africa must not be reduced to simple relations between donors and recipients, but rather must be conceived and perceived as a strategic effort deeply anchored in the principles of equality, ownership, cooperation and solidarity between various actors whose collective security is dependent on the stability and prosperity of each of them”, the same source added.
Based on this observation, Ramtane Lamamra invited the Nordic countries to provide greater support for the mechanisms of the African Union in terms of conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as the implementation of the structuring projects identified within the framework of NEPAD and Agenda 2063 to accelerate Africa’s integration and development, according to the document.
“Finally, Mr. Lamamra addressed the need to strengthen multilateral institutions, led by the United Nations, to promote a more egalitarian multilateralism based on the norms and principles of international law, while stressing the imperative of put an end to the historical injustice of the marginalization of Africa on the international stage and in the frameworks of global governance”, concludes the ministry.
As a reminder, this forum, bringing together a growing number of African ministers with their Nordic counterparts, was set up in 2001 and has since held annual meetings devoted to current issues with a view to strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the African and Nordic countries.
