Africa is a continent that is gaining growing importance in the eyes of Western governments and in relation to which the donor-recipient relationship (born out of the ashes of colonialism) is increasingly wearing thin. In an interview with the Aspen Italia website team, Nicola Bellomo, the EU Ambassador to Swaziland (and one of the youngest people to head a Delegation of the European External Action Service), explains the role of EU diplomats in Africa, highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing the EU’s fledgling diplomacy.
What importance does the African continent hold in the eyes of European diplomacy? Africa is gaining more and more importance in the eyes of Western governments, becoming a key geopolitical and economic actor and subverting the postcolonial relationship that saw the West cast in the role of donor and African countries as recipients of development aid. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, is set to be the macro-area with the highest rate of growth in the world in 2014, and in the long term, its growing importance will ensure that decisions will not be able to be taken in multilateral organizations without the continent having a say. It is also interesting to note that the growth rates recorded in many African countries are no longer solely linked to the raw materials sector, but also stem from processes of diversification and innovation accompanied by structural reforms and the promotion of good governance.
Especially for the European Union, Africa is a partner of the utmost importance, with the fourth Africa-EU Summit due to be held in April 2014 in Brussels, assembling the leaders of 82 countries (54 in Africa and 28 in Europe) together with their respective continental organizations (the African Union and European Union), and providing an opportunity to renew the strategic partnership (first cemented in 2000) by adopting a new plan of action for the coming years. This relationship is particularly significant in areas such as immigration, anti-terrorism and natural resources.
What are the issues of key European interest in Swaziland? First of all, it must be said that the Delegation is a recent development and was established with my arrival in October 2013, whereas previously there was only a chargé d’affaires. Swaziland is an often forgotten but regionally strategic country, given its geographic location between South Africa and Mozambique – two countries to be watched with great interest. Indeed, this year South Africa will hold its first democratic elections without Mandela, while in Mozambique, the end of the civil war, which was taken as read, is threatening to have new consequences that risk jeopardizing recent growth trends. Among other things, there are no other European national diplomatic missions in Mbabane, so my job also involves traveling to and communicating frequently between Maputo and Pretoria to maintain relationships and explore synergies with the accredited national ambassadors.
So is cooperation between European diplomacy and the ambassadors of individual EU countries working? Absolutely. The Treaty of Lisbon tasks the EU with coordinating foreign policy and currently the various Delegations are adapting to this role. Personally, I believe the assimilation of colleagues from national diplomatic services represents great added value. In addition, beyond the traditional approach linked to political dialogue and cooperation, even the promotion of trade is becoming a topic of interest, with several Delegations making moves in this direction through the organization of business forums. This will definitely be one of the priorities of my agenda here in Mbabane, with the aim – where the right conditions exist – to attract new investment. On a commercial level, the European Union is the most important trading partner. Future developments depend on an Economic Partnership Agreement being signed with Europe, negotiations in respect of which are in progress at the regional level. An agreement should be signed up before October 2014.
What other projects do you have on the table? We are working on implementing the tenth European Development Fund. In particular, we are working on a Sugar Protocol, which will be of great interest to Swaziland, where this commodity is a key pillar of the economy. In effect, following the reform of European agricultural policy, the EU decided to support countries facing negative impacts. We are helping to develop infrastructure to facilitate the transportation of sugar, thus lowering the cost of production and making the product more competitive on international markets. As far as the future is concerned, we are engaged in the programming of the eleventh European Development Fund. I have just been to Brussels with a delegation from the country to discuss the 2014-2020 aid package, which provides 62 million euro for agriculture and measures aimed at improving social services.
In addition to coordinating foreign policy and promoting trade, what further steps could European diplomacy take? Personally, I hope consular responsibilities will be shared. I find it anachronistic and financially unsustainable for there to be 28 national networks. The creation of a European consular system could have huge implications, both on an economic as well as “emotive” level. When a citizen of any European country is able to obtain consular assistance abroad from an EU diplomatic mission, then we will have taken a step towards making more accessible a Europe that many depict as too abstract and remote. For this reason too, we need to make renewed educational and awareness-raising efforts to explain – especially to young people – the value and relevance of the European venture. This discourse must necessarily be linked to the future, in a context where – for demographic and geopolitical reasons – only a strong and cohesive Europe will be able to remain a major player on the international stage. I believe that the upcoming European parliamentary elections could provide an opportunity to rekindle serious debate about Europe, and to respond resolutely to the wave of anti-European sentiment that is gradually sweeping towards our country too.
Nicola Bellomo has been the EU Ambassador in Mbabane (Swaziland) since October 2013. He graduated with a distinction in Law at the University of Bari, and embarked on a career within the European Union’s institutions in 1992, examining issues of European interest and pursuing postgraduate specializations at the London School of Economics, New York University and Wilton Park – the Diplomatic Institute of the British Foreign Office.
