Photo by: Bloomberg
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Africa and Europe have strengthened their cooperation in the field of geology, stressing the importance of developing a solid policy framework to attract investments as well as to promote skills development and business education in the sector.
The commitment, which was made at the fifth European Union (EU)-Africa Business Forum this week, was made by the Organisation of African Geological Surveys, EuroGeoSurveys, EU mining industry representative body Euromines, lobby group Business Europe and other industrial players and institutions, which discussed how to enhance the sustainable exploitation of the mineral resources wealth of the continent leading to sustainable economic growth.
This would be done along four axes – governance, infrastructure, knowledge base and waste management – and would ensure environmental protection and the participation of the local population in all part of the processes, also in the form of consultation.
African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry Fatima Haram Acyl and European Commission VP Antonio Tajani expressed full support for geological cooperation; considered to be one of the most important and urgent needs to understand mineral resources potential in Africa and its sustainable development.
Further, European Commission president José Manuel Barroso and African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma reaffirmed the strategy to strengthen African sustainable development while enhancing EU business and trade with Africa.