afrol News, 13 May - Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Moratinos, yesterday officially announced that Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will host the presitgious "Africa House", and Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero promised the full support by the central government in Canary Islands' plans to become "a bridge to Africa". High state and business officials of the archipelago congratuled themselves of the victory, which they hold will start a new era in Spain's relations with Africa.

Foreign Minister Moratinos was present at the closing session of the fourth Spanish seminar on sub-Saharan Africa, which was held on the island of Tenerife. Here, he announced the new guidelines in Spain's and the Canary Islands' policies towards Africa, a continent that until now has been grossly neglected by Madrid. Under the motto "Africa, a new political priority", Mr Moratinos announced his new policies to an audience that included South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad and ECOWAS Secretary-General Mohammed Ibn Chambas.

Representatives from Canary Islands and from peninsular Spain all emphasised on the current optimism regarding development in Africa. According to José Carlos Mauricio, Minister of Finance of the autonomous Canary ISlands, "Africa is starting on a new and very important cicle of development and economic growth. Earlier, for the Canary Islanders, Africa was a stranger, but today it is an oportunity."

The government of the Canary Islands has been lobbying in Madrid for a stronger link with Western Africa, which is its closest neighbour. Trade and cultural links between the archipelago and West African have been strongly promoted during the last decade. It was therefore a great victory for the islanders as Spain's new Development Minister Leire Pajín earlier this week announced that Madrid would now concentrate its booming development aid towards Africa.

Support now also came from the Foreign Minister, who said that "Spain wants to get to now Africa better and at the same time open up more towards Africa. This," he said, "is the major reason for the [Madrid] government, together with the autonomous government of the Canary Islands, to promote the establishment of Africa House, to be based on the archipelago, which aspires at becoming a center of reference in Europe and Africa for the organisation of debates, seminars, encounters and cultural and business exchanges of any kind."

After the creation of "Casa de África" was announced officially, Canary Islanders found themselves winally winning a long an presitigious victory towards becoming Spain's centre for relations with Africa. Luis Padilla, Director of Africa Department in the Canary Islands government, told afrol News in Tenerife that he and his government was "happy and content" with the future erectionof Africa House in Gran Canaria, the neighbour island.

The concept still has to be concretised, Mr Padilla however revealed. "During the last few days, the Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives af African countries acredited in Spain have been invited to present their proposals for the programme of Africa House," the Africa Director told afrol News.

Mr Padilla also revealed that his government had found a person of great trust to head the project, Alfonso Ortiz. "Mr Ortiz has a wide experience basis from many years in difference Spanish diplomatic representations in Africa, including being Spain's Ambassador in Ghana, Liberia, Egypt and Congo Kinshasa," Mr Padilla said.

Business representatives of the Canary Islands were equally optimistic regarding the announced new era of Spain's relations with Africa. José Miguel Suárez Gil, President of the Las Palmas Chamber of Commerce, told afrol News that Africa House had been a project of his Chamber, which would be very present in the project. The Chamber is a founding member of the project, Mr Gil emphasised.

Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero in a televised speech yesterday evening further gave support to the project, saying the Canary Islands were to become a true "brigde to Africa" through the new institution and through the significant development aid for West Africa being distributed by the archipelago's autonomous government.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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