Malta's foreign minister Evarist Bartolo placed a spotlight on illicit financial flows and how they are damaging citizens of African nations during a conference held in Rwanda.
Bartolo met several ministers from African countries while attending the second Ministerial meeting between the African Union and the European Union, in Rwanda. He also had a meeting with the Commissioner for Social Affairs of the African Union, Amira Elfadil.
He told his audience that Malta considered Africa to be "a land full of opportunities where the number of Maltese businesses operating in this continent is increasing and needs to be further sustained."
He also told the conference that Europe and Africa should not only be good neighbours, but should work hard to be equal partners. The colonial past should not be perpetuated in the future, otherwise, it cannot be considered a past, he said.
African countries continue to be dragged down by financial crime and illicit financial flows, with an UNCTAD report estimating that the continent loses €76 billion every year to outflows include illicit capital flight, tax and commercial practices like mis-invoicing of trade shipments and criminal activities such as illegal markets, corruption or theft.
Between 2000 and 2015, the continent lost more to illicit financial flows than its total external debt position, the report found.
Speaking in Rwanda, Bartolo also noted trade imbalances between the EU and Africa: around 70 per cent of EU exports to Africa last year were of manufactured products, while 61 per cent of African exports to the EU were of raw materials, energy and food and drink.
Bartolo also called for more education, training and employment opportunities to be offered to young people in Africa, many of whom he said are experiencing unemployment and poverty.
On the issue of immigration, Bartolo said the movement of people needs to be regulated. He referred to the need for secure borders, where human traffickers are stopped at every stage of their operation and every person deserving of asylum is given the protection they deserve.
In its statement, the government said that during the Rwanda meeting, African and European Ministers had the opportunity to convey their message on how Africa and Europe can cooperate together in the future, for the benefit of both sides.
The main topics discussed during the meeting were peace, security, governance and immigration, as well as the need for investments that strengthen sustainability and investment in human capital in areas such as science, technology, education and skills development.