Thursday, December 05, 2019

SB Moyo for Nairobi ACP Summit
 06 DEC, 2019 - 00:12
Victor Maphosa
Herald Correspondent

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo will represent Zimbabwe at the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) summit of Head of States and Government in Kenya next week.

Zimbabwe is expected to benefit from its participation at the meeting as it provides an opportunity for the country to engage other developing countries in the ACP group that have stood by Harare during its fallout with Western countries.

The meeting will also provide a platform for Zimbabwe to contribute to the debate on the reform and transformation of the ACP and to the discussion on the new ACP-EU framework of co-operation post-2020.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Mr Shepherd Gwenzi said Dr Moyo had been assigned by President Mnangagwa to lead the Zimbabwean delegation.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lt-Gen. (Rtd) Dr Sibusiso Moyo has been assigned by His Excellency President E.D. Mnangagwa to lead Zimbabwe’s delegation to the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, December 9 and 10, 2019,” Mr Gwenzi said in a statement.

“The summit will be preceded by meetings of the ACP Council of Ministers on December 6 and 7 and the Joint ACP Council of Ministers and ACP Ministers of Foreign Affairs on December 8.

“The leaders of the 79-member ACP Group of States will, among others, deliberate on the ongoing work on the transformation of the ACP into an organisation fit for purpose and better able to serve the interests of its members in the 21st century.”
Mr Gwenzi said the leaders would deliberate on the negotiations between the ACP and the European Union (EU) on the successor partnership agreement between the two parties following the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement on February 29, 2020.

The role of the ACP group in the global fight against climate change, ocean governance, good governance, peace and security and combating terrorism, violent extremism and radicalisation would also be debated.

“The leaders are also expected to adopt a Nairobi Declaration which will, inter alia, renew their deep commitment to multilateralism as critical in achieving a united effort towards dealing with the prevailing global challenges and express their desire to promote and strengthen intra-ACP co-operation as a means to enhance development opportunities, increase competitiveness and strengthen South-South and triangular co-operation towards the fight against global challenges,” Mr Gwenzi said.

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