Africa strong despite financial crisis, observes Senegalese minister

Africa strong despite financial crisis, observes Senegalese minister
Written by Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Friday, November 07, 2008 3:47:32 AM

SENEGALESE commerce minister Mamadou Diop Decroix has said Africa is alive to the international financial crisis but remained strong.

In an interview here where he is leading an official Senegalese delegation to this year’s Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV), Decroix said there was a paradox on the issue of the current global financial meltdown whose epicenter was the United States of America.

“Sub-Saharan Africa may not very much be concerned about this crisis because we simply are not part of world trade,” he said. “I mean we are not part of world affairs, we are not into that ground, although there could be some aftershocks to hit our economies.”

Decroix said African countries had been crying for space into international trade but to no avail.

He said as the situation stood today one could simply affirm that, “if things are bad we are still not there, but we will be touched by this crisis to a certain level.”

Decroix said Senegal was very interested in fostering strong economic and cultural relations with Cuba.

He said Senegal was interested in enjoying benefits from a various productive sectors of the Cuban economy.

Decroix said he met Cuban foreign trade minister Raul de la Nuez with whom he discussed mutual exchanges between Senegal and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“We believe there are many opportunities in Cuba, particularly in medicines,” he said.

Decroix said Senegal was interested in Cuban diabetes and malaria drugs among other pharmaceutical products and prevention techniques.

“We discussed the Cuban energy saving experience which is very good,” he said.

Decroix said Senegal was also interested in Cuban cultural sector especially now that his country was preparing for an international cultural festival.

And Decroix said Senegal was still renegotiating the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union.

He said Senegal and other ECOWAS member states still had some concerns on the EPAs.

“We are discussing this issue and maybe by June next year, as long as our European colleagues continue doing their best in taking into account our concerns, we shall sign,” said Decroix.