Congressi 2009-2018

2013
2013 Beijing
Africa: 54 Countries, One Union
Opening Remarks
Romano Prodi
24 October 2013
Abstract
In 2010 we started in Bologna, and then we had a “walk” around the world. We
touched some of the most important places for Africa’s growth and cooperation:
Addis Ababa, where the headquarter of the African Union is located. Then, Washington
DC and now Beijing, the capitals of the United States and China: two states that
are not only deeply involved in African economics, but which have also great political
responsibilities towards the African continent and its growing populations. Therefore,
the different locations of the conferences were not chosen coincidentally, but reflected
a particular approach towards the development of Africa.
The main goal of the conference in Beijing is to discuss concrete project proposals,
especially for those African regions, like Sahel, that have not gained, yet, from the recent
growth of the continent. The title of the conference – Africa 54 Countries: One Union
– has never changed, because we still believe that cooperation and even integration
among African countries is one of the main conditions for a broad development of the
continent. First of all, “54 Countries, One Union” means a physical union based on a
common and modern infrastructure, which is a crucial element for the future growth of
Africa. A variety of recent studies have shown that that poor state of roads, rails and
harbors can add from 30 to 40% to the cost of goods traded among African countries.
Infrastructure is an element that interests all economic sectors and all African states,
thus requiring particular attention and cooperation among countries. Without an efficient
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