The United Nations Secretary-General-elect, Mr Ban Ki Moon, on Tuesday pledged towork relentlessly towards helping to end violent conflicts and other challenges facing Africa.
"I personally feel strongly attached to the African continent. I will literally pour down my attention and passion towards Africa to resolve the problems on the continent, while fulfilling my duties as the UN-Secretary-General," Mr Moon, who is also the out-going Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, said.
He was speaking when he hosted President John Agyekum Kufuor and three other African heads of state who are in Seoul to attend the first Korea-Africa Forum to a dinner on Tuesday.
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Congo, President Yayi Boni of Benin and President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania were the other leaders. He noted that border conflicts remained a hard reality for some countries in the region while many of their peoples suffered poverty, disease, famine and starvation.
He, however, described as both refreshing and encouraging the efforts some governments on the continent were making to set the tradition of democratic and peaceful regime change. "The will of all of you, the African leaders, who aspire to transform their countries, was crystallized and materialized through the African Union (UN) and the launch of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
Further success of NEPAD, an institutional framework for Africa's sustainable development, will inevitably depend upon the support and cooperation of the international community."
Mr Moon said the Korean Government had this very idea of partnership when it created the Korea-Africa Forum. "The huge potential and unwavering will of Africa draws the same attention from the world as mankind of the ancient times did when they successfully led their livelihood on the African continent amid the barren environment.
“Africa has always been the land of opportunity for humanity, for which reason, I believe people of Africa deserve to be confident about a better future awaiting them."
Mr Moon said it was his hope that the Forum would provide a platform for the two sides to exchange their vision for better and mutually rewarding co-operation in the areas of politics, economics, commerce and trade.
The Forum must venture beyond a conference where participants would just talk but would not walk the talk.
Mr Moon used the occasion to thank Africa for supporting his election and later held a closed-door meeting with President Kufuor.
GNA
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