We both bit our tongues, of course.
And though I too am sceptical of this big plan, for my part, the scepticism is more along the lines of the project doesn't nearly do enough, to develop the whole region, both human and economic, to redress some imbalances and resulting economic de-development in the maghreb and sub-saharan africa, that eu mercantilism has occasioned in trading relationships over the past few decades, et c. Fact is, as many of the leaders learned in Paris over this past week-end....there's no money for any of the talk.
But of course, in terms of PR, as my cabby demonstrated, quite the coup. And for all the ill I will speak of M. Sarkozy, I suspect he understands one thing - you do not solve the problem of migrations in an orderly, chosen fashion without arresting the de-development of africa. "C'est un scandale !"
Under the Euro-Africa dialogue on migration and development, Mr Louis Michel, European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, Ms Brigitte Girardin, France's junior minister for cooperation, development and Francophonie, and Mr Bernardino León, Spain's junior minister for foreign affairs, travelled to Mali to help implement the EU's global approach to migration and development. They attended a high-level meeting with Mali and ECOWAS in Bamako on 8 February. The meeting was chaired by Mali's prime minister, Mr Ousmane Issoufi Maiga. ECOWAS was represented by Mr Baber Tandina, its director for free movement of persons. Drawing on the Declaration of the Rabat conference and its action plan, the conclusions of the first session of the EU-Mali consultation on migration on 26 September 2006 and the results of the EU-Africa ministerial conference on migration and development held in Tripoli in November 2006, the parties discussed bilateral and Community cooperation on migration. They reaffirmed the thrust of their cooperation on international migration, which must continue to be informed by a global approach to migration issues and a spirit of partnership based on mutual interest within the framework of Article 13 of the Cotonou Agreement. Discussions focused on building the Malian government's capacity to manage migratory flows and Malians abroad, accompanying measures for legal migration, training and the reintegration of returning migrants, ways of tapping the human, financial and technical capital of Malians abroad, co-development schemes and measures to tackle illegal migration.
Drawing on the Declaration of the Rabat conference and its action plan, the conclusions of the first session of the EU-Mali consultation on migration on 26 September 2006 and the results of the EU-Africa ministerial conference on migration and development held in Tripoli in November 2006, the parties discussed bilateral and Community cooperation on migration.
They reaffirmed the thrust of their cooperation on international migration, which must continue to be informed by a global approach to migration issues and a spirit of partnership based on mutual interest within the framework of Article 13 of the Cotonou Agreement. Discussions focused on building the Malian government's capacity to manage migratory flows and Malians abroad, accompanying measures for legal migration, training and the reintegration of returning migrants, ways of tapping the human, financial and technical capital of Malians abroad, co-development schemes and measures to tackle illegal migration.
