Cote d'Ivoire calls for reinforcement of intra-African trade

Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan on Tuesday called for reinforcement of intra-African trade.

"Reinforcement of intra-African trade which represents 12 percent of the total trade on the continent will be a major tool for regional integration," Duncan said during the opening of the 7th Creating Shared Value Global Forum in Abidjan.

The prime minister who highlighted the crucial role of regional economic communities, expressed hope that this rate will be increased to 50 percent by 2020.

"In a context of a competitive global market, Africa should promote policies that are favourable to markets and regional integration, through vast markets such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Economic Community of West African States," he recommended.

According to Duncan, Africa should be a new frontier for development.

"Africa appears more and more as the continent of the future and not a hopeless one, especially considering the economic performance of the last 15 years, during which the continent registered an average of 5 percent annual growth," he said.

Creating Shared Value Global Forum brings together representatives of the private sector, governments and civil society actors from Africa, Europe and elsewhere to discuss measures to be taken to accelerate sustainable development in Africa. Endit