ISRAEL TO SEEK OBSERVER STATUS IN THE ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY

Tel Aviv, 21 Rajab 1435/20 May 2014 (MINA) – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has called for Israel to make efforts on all levels to acquire at least observer status in the Organisation of African Unity.

Al-Quds news reported that during a Knesset meeting titled “gathering for the sake of Africa”, Lieberman reportedly hailed the economic developments in the African continent. “Last year, economic growth in Africa was six per cent while it was zero per cent in Europe,” he said, as quoted by Middle East Monitor and Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

He noted that the American president and officials in his administration, as well as Chinese officials, have visited several countries in that “great continent”.

“The importance of Africa has become clear and it affects the international arena. We in Israel consider it essential to our foreign policy,” said Lieberman, according to Al-Quds. He explained how he has opened up new horizons to Israel in this regard while he has been in his position.

But the Israeli foreign minister also said that Israel now has only ten embassies in Africa out of 106 around the world, whereas it used to have 27 embassies there during the 1970s.

Lieberman stressed the importance of investing all efforts and exploiting all Israeli resources existing in Africa. He noted that he is set to visit five African countries with a large Israeli delegation next month aiming at further developing relations with these countries.

It is important to note that Israel’s government has blocked the entry of Africans into Israel in recent years and pressed the tens of thousands of African migrants in Israel to leave – calling them an “existential threat” to the country.(T/Fauziah/P03/P04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)