NOUAKCHOTT, July 1, 2018 (MENA) - Addressing the summit, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said terrorism hinders development in Africa. Fighting corruption, he added, is key to achieving growth and prosperity. He said his country has been working over the past years to achieve a quantum leap, where individual and collective freedoms are concerned. An effective law has been passed to counter bribes and control authorities have been activated, Abdel Aziz told the gathering. Indeed, the African continent is facing grave security challenges, topped by terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking, the Mauritanian president acknowledged. Those challenges constitute real obstacles in the face of sustainable development, he noted. Development cannot possibly be achieved without security, Abdel Aziz said, calling for coordinated African efforts to confront challenges. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al Maliki told the summit that he is seeking African support in the lawful struggle against the Israeli occupation since 1967. Maliki thanked all African states for voting for providing protection to the Palestinian people at the UN. He also voiced solidarity with African countries that recently witnessed terror attacks, citing Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Addressing the summit was also Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, who touched upon a successful Arab-African partnership that dates back to 1977. "Together we have succeeded in employing our collective potentials and cumulative efforts to make this partnership more special," the AL chief said. He praised the role played by the chairman of the AU commission to push forward Arab-African cooperation at all levels.
