German, Danish & Swedish Ambassadors Stress Need for African Economic Integration

Addis Ababa February 15/2023 /ENA/European ambassadors based in Addis Ababa told ENA that strengthening African economic integration is extremely important for the continent's development and beyond.

Ambassadors of Germany, Denmark and Sweden who were in attendance of the opening ceremony of the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union today have stressed the significance of economic integration.

Germany’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Stephan Auer said regional economic and trade integration is extremely important for countries of the African continent.

“If we integrate, we can better cooperate with one another economically, politically, socially and culturally. So what we need to do is to integrate more regionally and on the continent. We are very much encouraged by the inspiration of Africans to unite behind the African Union and find an African intervention and to promote free trade in Africa.”

The ambassador mentioned the good experience in Europe's economic integration and how it had emerged from the terrible wars in Europe.

Ambassador Auer finally called on the African Union to accelerate its trade and economic integration within countries of the continent and beyond the continent.

Denmark's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kira Smith Sindbjerg said on her part that strengthening African economic integration is extremely important for Africa’s further development and it is something that Denmark supports.

“We are together with the African Union in making the continent’s free trade a reality. This is also for the African countries to be able to have free trade across the continent. That can boost the economy of many African countries, especially for the private sector. And it is then again a matter of working with friends, with the European Union or Denmark.”

So strengthening trade across Africa is extremely important to see a prosperous continent, she underlined.

Ambassador Sindbjerg revealed that Denmark “is supporting financially to strengthen the Africa free trade cooperation through our development cooperation and through the African Union. It is something that we will continuously look at.”

Sweden’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Hans Henric Lundquist, also pointed out that her country has been supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

“It is also aligned with our policy to have regional integration and more trade between African countries. I think that is important for economic development. Africa has a huge potential for Africa in terms of economic development and production. This is something that we really want to support from Sweden and from the European Union.”

He urged African countries to have their own food production. For him, it is very important to develop the value chain and access to market.