A strong Africa is in Germany’s interest, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told an Africa conference held at the Foreign Office in Berlin on Tuesday.
Speaking to African diplomats, Wadephul said Germany would continue to work for African interests on the global stage to help the continent face the current geopolitical turbulence.
Germany had always supported the African Union (AU) and would continue to do so, he pledged. In addition, it maintained individual links to all 54 African countries.
Wadephul expressed criticism of the fact that the rules-based order within the United Nations no longer reflected geopolitical realities and said the Germany supported Africa’s demand for reform. The AU should also become a full member of the G20 group of major economies, he said.
Wadephul has backed having two permanent and five non-permanent seats for African states on the Security Council. He noted that around 70% of all issues raised there concerned Africa and that by 2050, a fifth of the global population would be African.
“A united Europe and Africa can be a strong force,” he said.
The German foreign minister expressed support for economic cooperation. “We want to boost trade, promote investment and strengthen regional integration. We are aiming for diversification of our supply chains, local value creation, closer cooperation on critical raw materials and fewer barriers to trade,” he said.