Juncker urged European firms on Tuesday to boost their investments in Africa in a "partnership among equals," reminding the joint European Union and Africa Union forum that Africa's population was forecast to double to 2.5 billion by 2050. "Africa's future is also our [European] future," said Juncker in opening remarks to representatives of 800 businesses and political leaders gathered in Vienna. Asked if Europe was too late in discovering business investment opportunities in Africa, Juncker replied: "Yes, but we do it better." Hosting the forum with the AU's current chairman, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, Chancellor Kurz of Austria — which holds the rotating EU presidency and is an advocate of strict European rules on migration — said: "We must not leave the African continent to China," describing Tuesday's forum as a "good start" for more investment by Europe beyond the Mediterranean. In September, Beijing hosted African leaders at a summit, offering billions. Last year, China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti and ranks as Africa's largest trading partner, followed by Japan and the EU (taken as a single entity), according to EU statistics. Among EU nations, the highest surpluses in trade with Africa last year were accrued by Germany (€8.3 billion) and France (€ 5.6 billion). "It's better to start than not start at all," said Namibian Communications Minister Stanley Simataa in Vienna Tuesday, saying past colonial "dark chapters" were part of the "shared history" of Africa and Europe.
Source: dw.com