Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Your Excellency the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to firstly thank the African Union, and in particular the Mauritanian Chairperson and our host country today, Equatorial Guinea, for having invited me to take part in this summit. For me it is a great honour to address the leaders of Africa and share this stage with such guests as the Secretary General of the United Nations.
First of all, I would like to express my outright condemnation of the attack that took place yesterday in Nigeria, together with my support for the victims and their families.
Mr Chairperson,
The economic crisis in Europe has brought old certainties into question. In the midst of the hurricane it is hard to believe that calm will follow the storm. One of the factors that helped us start to see recovery was the momentum from Africa; while in Europe we were fighting the recession, our neighbours to the south were enjoying growth in excess of 5%.
We, as Europeans, are not used to seeing this situation. In Europe, it is more usual to be talking about the problems of Africa. I don't believe that "the problems of Africa" exist There are problems, but without an accompanying adjective or association. They are common for all countries, we all suffer them to a greater or lesser extent and, like the storm, we can put them behind us if we know how to maintain a steady course. The work of the leaders is precisely to set this course and maintain it in spite of the pessimists. What is hard is to acknowledge, when things fall apart, that the seeds of future well-being are planted during the present hardships. We are the masters of our own destiny.
In 1987, upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the end of the armed conflicts in Central America, Oscar Arias spoke of a continent ravished by poverty, injustice, war and dictators, but he reminded us that, although we cannot change the past, the future depends on us. This dream of the future has now become the present in Latin America. Democracy now reigns there, economies are growing and the guns remain silent. The reality has overcome the expectations of the most optimistic, although there weren't many optimists back in the 80s.
Spain was optimistic and, if Spain is now starting to put the crisis behind it, this is, to some extent, because of the soundness of companies that found a way to lay roots on both sides of the Atlantic. Since, 1980, Spanish companies have invested more than 126 billion euros in Latin America, only second to the United States.
Mr Chairperson,
Once again it is time to be optimistic, but this time Spain's optimism does not have to cross an ocean. The target of our optimism is closer to hand, in Africa. Our trade with Africa, both imports and exports, has grown by 250% in the last 10 years and now exceeds Spain's trade with Latin America. Each year we purchase more than 28 billion euros of African products, almost double that which we export to the continent.
Our investment in this continent is still small, but it hasn't stopped growing, even during the crisis.
It would be normal for Spain, as the closest European country to Africa, to have much stronger relations with this continent than those it has at present. We want to invest in Africa as we invested back then in Latin America. Spain has leading companies in various sectors, including the agri-food industry, infrastructures and energy, which can play a leading role. Spain has relations with Africa on an equal footing. Our agenda can be summed up in one phrase: the more prosperous Africa is, the more prosperous Spain will be.
There are many paths that lead to a prosperous, open and inclusive society, and each country must choose its own path, without anyone telling anyone else what to do. I believe that there are three key points that we all share.
Firstly, nations need peace and security. Without this, progress is not possible. The African Union has shown the unanimous will of the continent not to tolerate violence and extremism, in such arenas as Mali, the Central African Republic and Somalia. When an African Union soldier in these countries looks to his side, he can find a Spanish soldier because, if any one of us does not enjoy peace, none of us can truly live in peace.
Mr Chairperson,
In practice Spain has shown its commitment to peace and security, which is why we have presented our candidature to be a member of the United Nations Security Council in 2015 and 2016. If Spain is finally elected, I can assure you that during those two years, Africa will not have three seats on the Security Council, but in fact four.
The second key point that should guide our steps is democracy. The future of each nation must be taken by those called on to build it through their work. Sound, transparent institutions open to their citizens lead to inclusive societies, where inequalities fade away and the incredible creative potential of the human being can expand without limits. This is a shared project to which all citizens can contribute, regardless of their race, gender, ideology or religion, with full respect for human rights.
Thirdly, we must create the right conditions so that companies and workers can develop a vibrant economy. All citizens must have the opportunity to carry out their own life project, to form a family and help it prosper, or start a new company and create jobs. Where you have strong institutions, legal certainty and market freedom, the very resources of a country can be mobilised which helps enhance the well-being of their citizens.
Africa is rich in natural resources, but its main resource lies in its people. In an increasingly aging world, it has the youngest population of any continent in the world. If I only had to point to one reason why the future will be African, this would be it. The challenge is to provide young African people with the opportunity to surprise the world with their creativity, their energy and their hard work.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is the combination of these three elements - peace, democracy and economic opportunities - that has enabled Africa to continue growing strongly when the crisis was hitting the rest of the world.
Mr Chairperson,
Other western Heads of State and Government have addressed this Assembly before me. The majority promised to help Africa and offered funding and programmes. I haven't come here to offer anything because I have nothing that the people of Africa cannot give themselves. I would simply ask that you look at Spain as a partner for growth in Africa. I come here to ask for more trade and greater investment in our countries, and I would reiterate that Spain wants to be part of Africa's renaissance.
Six months ago we met to say farewell to a great African leader - Nelson Mandela. I don't aspire to find a better description of Africa's future than that made by Madiba himself, so I shall simply limit myself to repeating his words, "The normal condition of human existence is democracy, justice, peace, non-racism, non-sexism, prosperity for everyone, a healthy environment, equality and solidarity among the peoples".
Ladies and gentlemen,
Spain believes in the present and future of Africa, and is resolute in committing to it.
Thank you very much.