On Saturday, President of the African Union Felix Tshisekedi urged for stronger cooperation between Africa and Turkey against terrorism and expressed that maintaining peace and security on the continent is imperative for achieving sustainable development.
Felix Tshisekedi, who is also the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, affirmed Africa’s trust in Turkey’s expertise in various sectors, saying: “Africa needs concrete projects in the areas of trade, infrastructure, agricultural development, governance, and health,” during the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in held in Istanbul.
Stressing the need for cooperation against terrorism, Tshisekedi said: “In some parts of Africa, unfortunately, there is instability and insecurity due to terrorist activities. Therefore, it is a must to ensure peace and security in order to move forward.”
“Our partnership with Turkey concerns not only Africa but the whole world. Our partnership will bring solutions to major global problems,” African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said during the same session which included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mahamat said that bringing the bilateral partnership to a strategic level would be a solution for major global issues, noting the various investments made by Turkish firms in different African countries.
He said according to the second partnership summit declaration in Equatorial Guinea in 2014, the period of 2015-2020 period saw developments in the fields of education, health, infrastructure, tourism, transportation, energy, and climate.
The third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit is a follow-up of events held in 2008 in Istanbul and 2014 in Equatorial Guinea’s capital Malabo under the same banner.
