President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire has described South-to-South cooperation as a privileged instrument for fostering and promoting strong commercial relations between nations across the globe.
The head of state was speaking when he presided over the official opening ceremony of the G 77 + China meeting in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire's political capital, on Tuesday, according to the official Ivorian News Agency.
Speaking during the 12th Session of the Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee on Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries, President Gbagbo said that cooperation was a powerful tool for stimulating economic growth in emerging countries of the South.
"The total value of trade between countries in the South increased from 577 billion dollars in 1995 to 2 trillion dollars in 2006," said President Gbagbo, referring to figures published recently by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
In his speech, the Cote d'Ivoire head of state called for solidarity among countries of the South in order "to build a world where development and prosperity are a reality for everyone."
"The strengthening of South-South cooperation, especially in important domains such as diplomacy, economy, humanitarian work and sustainable development, is at the center of discussions at the Yamoussoukro meeting expected to run from June 10 to 13."
Meanwhile, President Gbagbo has blamed the current food crisis facing developing countries on the limitations of a skewed economic model dating back to the 19th century, saying that it had created a culture of "dependence on industrialized nations."
"The current food crisis shows clearly... the limitations of certain economic orientations dating back to the 19th century. An economic model that has notably created a situation whereby developing nations depend on the industrialized ones," said President Gbagbo.
In order to overcome the current situation, the head of state called on the United Nations to put in place a "fund for the stabilization of staple foods," before adding that the G77 should also move forward and create the "Southern Fund for Development and Humanitarian Assistance" as agreed during a 2005 summit.
Delegations from 130 member countries of the G77 plus China are taking part in the meeting, which for the first time is being held in a sub-Saharan African country, according to the organizers of the four-day meeting.
The meeting, according to its organizers, is notably expected to review the implementation of the platform for the development of the South, which was recommended by the 2nd South-South Summit and the operationalization of the Development Fund of the South and Humanitarian Assistance.
Source:Xinhua
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