Cumanana
XV Peruvian-African Friendship Day
On October 18, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the XV edition of the Peruvian-African Friendship Day at the Inca Garcilaso Cultural Center. This commemoration pays tribute to African leader Samora Machel and highlights the significant contributions of the African continent to Peru's cultural heritage.
The ceremony was presided over by Ambassador Eric Anderson, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ambassador of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Nawel Settouti. The activity was co-organized with the diplomatic representations of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Angola and South Africa. It is noteworthy that this year, for the first time, the embassies of Angola and Kenya participated in the festivities, thus enriching the celebration with their cultural contributions.
The festivities included a vibrant cultural display with dances, music and tastings of the traditional gastronomy of the participating countries. In addition, decorative tables of African embassies were displayed, offering attendees the opportunity to appreciate Africa's rich cultural diversity and learn more about its history. A Peruvian musical show enriched the experience, highlighting the
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
Article 1:
Speech by the Secretary General, Ambassador Eric Anderson Machado, at the XV Peruvian-African Friendship Day
Good morning,
It is an honor for me to welcome you to the celebration of the fifteenth Peruvian-African Friendship Day, which was instituted in 1986 in tribute and remembrance of the first president of Mozambique, Zamora Machel, as well as those who, like him, dedicated their lives to the emancipatory feat of the African continent.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the African Embassies of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Angola and the honorary consulate of South Africa deployed these activities to highlight the historical bonds of friendship and fraternity between our nations, the contributions of African culture to the formation of Peruvian society and our community
of interests in prospective.
Over the past five years, we have celebrated significant milestones, such as the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Algeria in 2022, the 60th anniversary with Egypt in 2023 and with Morocco in 2024, with whom we share a diplomatic relationship characterized by the active presence of diplomatic missions based in our
respective capitals.
Next year, among the anniversaries we will celebrate are the 55 years of diplomatic relations with Zambia, 50 years with Tanzania and Senegal, 40 years with Angola and 35 years with Namibia. These commemorations recall the first diplomatic impulses undertaken in the seventies and eighties.
Regarding the development of the continent, I would like to share with you that Peru is closely following the consolidation of Africa as an increasingly influential actor in the global sphere, with growing political, economic, commercial and strategic importance. It is worth highlighting the entry of the African Union as a permanent member
of the G20.
resources, the size of the African market, and the implementation of the largest free trade area in the world are some of the factors that demonstrate Africa's economic and commercial potential. In this sense, the formation of the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of the African Union (AU) and the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are of special interest to Peru in order to take actions that lead to an increase in trade with the African continent.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
In reference to trade between Peru and African countries, in 2023, Peruvian exports to the continent totaled 379.3 million dollars, which meant a growth of 34.3%, compared to 2022. It should be noted that our exports have maintained a constant average growth trend since 2019.
These exports correspond, in percentage terms, to 51% of traditional products and 49% of non-traditional products, figures that denote the existence of great potential to diversify our exports to that market.
Similarly, African imports to Peru have been steadily growing since 2020, with an annual average of 21%.
An interesting fact is that 65% of Peruvian companies that export to Africa correspond to large companies, 24% of exports come from SMEs, and only 11% from microenterprises.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
Affairs has developed a promising platform that involves a tripod of actions as a basis: the annual celebrations of the Peruvian-African Friendship Day, the realization of the African Film Series and the monthly publication of the Cumanana Cultural Bulletin, whose 40th edition will be published in December 2024, thanks to the active participation of the resident and concurrent African Embassies.
annual celebrations of the Peruvian-African Friendship Day, the realization of the African Film Series and the monthly publication of the Cumanana Cultural Bulletin, whose 40th edition will be published in December 2024, thanks to the active participation of the resident and concurrent African Embassies.
In addition, an impetus has been added through the academic arm through the
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
holding of conferences at universities to generate greater knowledge of the links between Peru
Finally, a key element of our strategy for rapprochement with Africa will take place through development cooperation seminars. These seminars will aim to get to know each other better and strengthen relations with African countries, creating links of cooperation in those sectors and African countries in Peruvian society. where we have common interests and good experiences.
Rest assured that Peru will continue to promote synergies between both continents, fostering cooperation that contributes to mutual development, strengthening and the creation of more
Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to the embassies of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Angola and the Honorary Consulate of South Africa for their kind collaboration in the art exhibitions,
I highlight their enthusiasm to facilitate the films that will be screened in this Cultural Center next week within the framework of the IX African Film Festival. I also extend an invitation to all
African friends; integrated structures of rapprochement. tastings and various exhibitions. those present to participate.
Ladies and gentlemen;
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
Article 2:
Speech by the Ambassador of Algeria Nawel Settouti at
the XV Edition of the Peruvian-African Friendship Day
It is a great honor for me to take the floor on behalf of my fellow African ambassadors, to celebrate the fifteenth edition of the Peruvian-African Friendship Day. First of all, we would like to express our congratulations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Peru, and in particular, to the General Directorate of Africa, the Middle East and Gulf Countries, and to the Inca Garcilaso Cultural Center, for having taken the valuable initiative to organize and celebrate the Peruvian-African Friendship Day since 2010, established in 1986 in tribute to the Mozambican leader and former president Zamora Machel, as well as to all those illustrious African leaders who inspired the liberation and independence of Africa.
From this perspective, it is worth welcoming the support that Peru has given to the liberation movements in Africa in the mid-twentieth century, as part of the decolonization process, established in United Nations resolution 1514 on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.
There is no doubt that Peruvian-African Friendship Day is a factor of rapprochement between the peoples of Peru and Africa, through the historical links that are also reflected in the undeniable contributions of the Afro-descendant community to the richness of Peru's cultural heritage, and that are materialized in various artistic expressions such as music, dance, singing, literature, poetry, as well as culinary art.
I pay tribute here to the emblematic and representative figures of Afro-Peruvian music, such as Nicomedes Santa Cruz, Victoria Santa Cruz, Amador Ballumbrosio, Susana Baca,
Perú Negro and others, who have perpetuated the most popular artistic expressions, to the rhythm of the cajón, the festejo and the landó, which are part of the intangible cultural heritage of Peru. And as the former Minister of Culture, Salvador Del Solar, expressed it in a quote that reads: "Without the Afro, there is no Peruvianness".
Ladies and gentlemen,
Celebrating Peruvian-African Friendship Day undoubtedly leads us to talk about the African continent. To speak of Africa is to refer to an extensive continent with an area of 30.3 million square kilometers and populated with 1,493 million inhabitants, representing 17% of the world's population, with a majority of young people, who are willing to take advantage of all opportunities for the development of their countries.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
The African continent offers a wide variety of peoples and impressive tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as dazzling and contrasting landscapes, fauna and flora, including rich mineral, energy and forest resources. On this occasion, I am pleased to refer to our continental organization, the African Union, and to share some of its important achievements, in the fields of development, culture, education and trade, as well as Africa's call for reform of the United Nations Security Council, and to promote reform that will restore Africa's rightful role in the UN.
Having said that, it should be recalled that, within the framework of its continental organization, the African Union, several countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa, have had the valuable initiative of creating in 2001, in Lusaka, Zambia, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), whose strategy, through an ambitious program, is to solve the great development challenges currently facing the African continent, and above all to attract investment in Africa.
On the other hand, I would like to address Agenda 2063, adopted in 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Member States of the African Union, which represents a shared vision for the next 50 years, with a view to building "the Africa we want, a prosperous, integrated and peaceful continent, guided by its own citizens", which prioritizes the socio-economic transformation and the political and cultural integration of the African continent.
Ladies and gentlemen
It is important to emphasize that Africa shares with Peru the great advantage of belonging to the oldest civilizations in the world, as evidenced by the richness of its tangible and intangible vestiges and heritage. One of the priorities of the member States of the African Union is the preservation of their cultural heritage and historical memory, and within this framework, Algeria, my country, has committed itself to building on its territory the Great Museum of Africa, which is one of the major projects of Agenda 2063.
In addition, one of the achievements of the African Union in the field of education is the launch in 2011 of the Pan African University (PAU), whose mission is to support the revitalization of higher education and research in Africa, and to contribute to the realization of the vision of the African Union, in the framework of the implementation of the Plan of Action for the Second Decade of Education in Africa. It has institutes in five countries, where African students pursue careers such as Space Sciences, based in South Africa; Water Sciences, Energy and Climate Change, in Algeria; Basic Science, Technology and Innovation, in Kenya; Life, Earth Sciences, Health and Agriculture, in Nigeria; and finally, Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, in Cameroon.
Continuing with the topic of education in
In this regard, the minister said that the problem of education in Africa is perceived as an important challenge to break the cycle of poverty and strengthen the socio-economic development of the continent, which will be home to 40% of the world's children by 2050, that is, almost one billion children and adolescents under 18 years of age. He also recalled that Algeria, which is proud to have contributed, since its independence, to the training of no less than 65,000 African students, supports the African Institute of Water Sciences, Energy and Climate Change, based in the Algerian city of Tlemcen, which contributed to the training of more than 644 students from 45 member states of the
session of the Executive Council of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, stated that Algeria has reiterated its commitment to share its experience and knowledge with African countries, to promote the education and teaching sector, through the provision of 2,000 scholarships and more African Union. than 500 training grants.
On the other hand, I would like to highlight the decision of the African Union to create in 2018 a single market in Africa, called the African Continental Free Trade Area (FTAA), which, according to the World Bank, could help African countries lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty and increase the incomes of another 68 million who live on less than $5.5 a day. The main objective of this single market is to remove bureaucratic obstacles and simplify customs procedures. stados miembros de la Unión Africana.
Finally, let me turn again to the long-awaited reform of the United Nations Security Council. In this context, it is worth recalling the Ezulwini Consensus, adopted in 2005 by the member States of the African Union, which calls for a more representative and equitable Security Council and proposes
two permanent and five non-permanent seats for the African continent. preservation of international peace and security.
Indeed, in June 2024, delegates from ten African countries, called the C-10, meeting in Algiers, called for permanent representation on the UN Security Council, to redress a historical injustice to allow Africa to position itself as an influential actor that contributes with full responsibility to the
In this regard, in September 2024, on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the UN Security Council is no longer clearly adequate to address contemporary challenges and needs urgent reform. Algeria also called for mobilization of efforts to restore the Security Council and the UN to their true role, stressing the need to repair the injustice committed against Africa, the only continent that does not have a permanent seat and the least represented in the category of non-permanent seats.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
members of the United Nations Security Council.
Thus, the tenth High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa took place, which took place in the Algerian city of Oran, in December 2023. It is worth mentioning that Algeria participated in this seminar as a host country, initiator and incoming non-permanent member of the Security Council, for the biennium 2024-2025. On this occasion, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf stated that it is important to democratize the working methods of the UN Security Council and to expand its membership, with a view to a broader representation of the international community at this
The African Union's approach is to take further steps towards the fulfilment of the pan-Africanist vision of the founding fathers of our continental organization and to work together to ensure that Africa's voice is duly heard, with a view to providing African solutions to the problems of the African continent. The Oran seminar in December 2023 brought together the members of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, the three current, incoming and outgoing African members of the United Nations Security Council, referred to as A3, in addition to Guyana as the representative of Latin America and the Caribbean on the Security Council, within the framework of the mechanism known as A3+1, the representatives of the African Union Commission and the UN, as
well as the founders, friends and partners of the seminar.
Ladies and gentlemen
Allow me to conclude my remarks by reiterating, on behalf of my fellow African ambassadors, our joy at being gathered here to celebrate the Peruvian-African Friendship Day and also to express our wish for full success to His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Elmer Schialer Salcedo, and to all the directors and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, affirming our full willingness to work for the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between
Peru and Africa. juncture.
Long live Peru, long live Africa and long live Peruvian-African Friendship.
Thank you so much.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru
Recipe: Pastelillo
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 kg 500g of fresh cassava or yuca
250g flour
Oil
For the filling (sweet potato jam):
1 kg of yellow sweet potato
Cinnamon stick
Cloves
2 lemons
1kg sugar
Preparation:
For the filling, cook the yellow sweet potato, peel it and pass it through the mashed press. Pour into a large pot and add cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Pour two cups of water and stir until it gets its point. When it is almost done, add the juice of two lemons (do not put before because the lemon takes away the flavor of the sweet potato).
For the dough, cook the yucca with cinnamon and cloves (then separate the cinnamon and cloves). When cooked, pass it through the mash press (it must be pressed hot; if not, it hardens).
Put the cassava press in a bowl, let it cool a little, add the flour and knead. Add flour until the dough comes off your hand. Take two small spheres of dough and stretch, place the sweet potato filling in the middle and close the edges with your fingers creating five points, in the shape of a star.
Fry in plenty of oil.
PERUVIAN-AFRICAN
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