Africa 'a land of opportunities', Evarist Bartolo tells conference in Rwanda

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...