Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Tourism is one of Djibouti's main potentials and the country is now "making a survey, a master plan, to attract Chinese developers to build hotels and resorts in the northern part of the country where scuba diving places are internationally renowned," said Guelleh in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
At the moment, the small northeastern African country is making final preparations for the 11th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit of heads of state and government slated on Nov. 15 and 16.
"China has realized a lot of projects in Djibouti, and it is continuing doing so," said Guelleh, who is also the incoming chairman of the 20-member COMESA.
According to Guelleh, Djibouti is now in discussion with a Chinese national salt company to exploit its salt resources, and the country is willing to purchase new equipments like cranes from China which are "internationally renowned, efficient and reasonably priced."
Guelleh also extended his welcome to Chinese investors to participate in his country's "mining and geothermal energy" sectors and to utilize Djibouti's international Free Zone, the first of its kind in Africa, for storage, redistribution and reconditioning.
"That would allow Chinese business community to be near the African market for distribution of their goods," said Guelleh.
As the incoming COMESA chairman, Guelleh said that one of the major issues at the upcoming summit is the launch of the COMESA Fund.
"We want all the barriers be moved so that we can have the free market and economic integration. All these questions are discussed in every summit and some countries have accepted to lift these barriers, others are waiting, others are discussing, and others are waiting for compensation. That's why we now create a COMESA fund for compensation and development," Guelleh said.
He also touched on the suspension of the Doha round of WTO negotiations this July, criticizing "powerful countries" for refusing "to see the problems of the south and to recognize that fair trade is better than anything else."
Guelleh said Africa cannot achieve economic development without integration, free trade or free movement of goods and persons.
Source: Xinhua, Nov 15, 2006