30 July 2010
Venezuela strengthens relations with Africa at 15th Summit of the African Union

Caracas, 29 Jul. AVN .- The relations between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the countries of Africa “are based on respect, historic-cultural ties and in our human and natural strengths as a guarantee for the welfare of our peoples,” said the Venezuelan Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for Africa Reinaldo Bolivar during his speech in the Multilateral Committee of the African Union Commission.

At the Fifteenth Summit of the African Union that took place in Kampala, Uganda, Bolivar recalled the diverse actions executed by the Bolivarian Government, presided over by President Hugo Chavez, to strengthen the relations with the Mother continent on diverse areas.

In this regard, he said that “since 2005, the panorama between Venezuela and Africa has changed positively. We have established relations with the 54 countries of this continent; we have 18 embassies that cover the entire Africa and its organizations with a great revolutionary dynamism; consolidated the legal framework for cooperation; and endorsed a great number of complementary agreements pointing the course for mutual cooperation.”

The Vice-Minister for Africa stated that Venezuela, “firm in its principles of solidarity and complementarity, will keep working with Africa to overcome together the common problems of our peoples.”

He reminded that South America and Africa own “large mining, energy, water, forest and sea resources and 1.2 billion human beings with educative and technical capacities, with youth and experience, to transform our continents into welfare poles for every single inhabitant.”

Therefore, the Vice-Minister said that “possibilities between South America and Africa are unimaginable, as demonstrated in the work round tables that have led to the two ASAS [Africa-South America Summit] we have held.”