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EU-African leaders seal new pact EU-African leaders seal new pact
(about 1 hour later)
European and African leaders have marked the end of a two-day summit in Lisbon by signing a pact promoting free trade and democracy. EU and African leaders have signed a declaration promoting free trade and democracy at a summit in Lisbon beset by rows over trade deals and Zimbabwe.
The summit has been seen as an attempt by Europe to regain lost ground in Africa and combat growing Chinese influence in the continent. As the Portuguese hosts hailed a "new chapter" in relations, Senegal's president railed against new EU-African trade deals proposed by the EU.
But Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade told the leaders that Europe had almost lost the race for influence in Africa. And Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe reportedly accused Europe of arrogance in criticising his human rights record.
Disagreements over trade deals also marred the summit's second day. The hosts have lauded the summit as heralding a new relationship of equals.
Controversy over Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe's presence has also dominated. The 67 leaders gathered at the summit agreed to work together to forge a new partnership on issues including security, development, trade and good governance.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was tasked with voicing the EU's concerns about Zimbabwe, said Mr Mugabe's policies had "damaged Africa". The BBC's Mark Doyle, in Lisbon, says the joint declaration is hugely ambitious in scope, and that clear differences remain on several issues.
"The situation in Zimbabwe concerns us all, in Europe as in Africa," she said. "We don't have the right to look away when human rights are trampled on." Fragile economies
Previous efforts to hold EU-African summits have collapsed over the question of Mr Mugabe's attendance. Angry words flew over trade deals - known as Economic Partnership Agreements - proposed to replace existing agreements due to expire at the end of the year.
Although he is banned from the EU, African leaders demanded he be invited to attend. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has boycotted the meeting in protest. class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7134407.stm">Africa wary of trade offer class="" href="/1/hi/business/7131300.stm">Q&A: Trade deal "We are not talking any more about EPAs, we've rejected them," said President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.
Mr Mugabe, who is still regarded by many African leaders as the heroic liberator of Zimbabwe, has not yet responded publicly to the remarks. Although some east African nations have already agreed to the deals, many other countries argue that they will damage their fragile economies.
Ambitious agenda The deals - to replace historical agreements which gave former European colonies preferential trade terms - demand that African countries open their markets to European goods in order to keep tariff-free EU access for their own exports.
The EU-Africa Strategic Partnership document, to be signed later, will outline joint policy aims in areas such as security, development and good governance. The summit was seen as an EU attempt regain lost ground in Africa and combat growing Chinese influence in the continent.
Today is very clear that Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7135087.stm">Archbishop's protest class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7130402.stm">EU-Africa: Key issues But President Wade said that "Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa".
The BBC's Mark Doyle in Lisbon says the pact is a hugely ambitious agenda and implementing the proposals will be difficult. Our correspondent says that while China has massively increased its investments in Africa, it does not tend to comment on issues such as democracy and human rights.
President Wade criticised European leaders for trying to pressure African countries into signing new trade deals, adding that China's approach was winning more friends. 'Arrogance'
"Today is very clear that Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa," he said. The point was evidenced by tensions over the presence of Mr Mugabe, widely criticised for human rights abuses and economic mismanagement in Zimbabwe.
Our correspondent says that while China has massively increased its investments in Africa it does not tend to comment on issues such as democracy and human rights. Today is very clear that Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7135087.stm">Archbishop's protest class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7130402.stm">EU-Africa: Key issues Although he is banned from the EU, African leaders demanded he be invited to attend. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown boycotted the meeting in protest.
He adds that Europe and Africa are currently in open disagreement over an EU plan for import tax reductions, despite the pact's focus on free trade. On Sunday Mr Mugabe was reported to have lambasted four EU countries for "arrogance" in their criticisms, according to a copy of a speech at a closed meeting obtained by French news agency AFP.
'Shake off colonialism' His comments came in response to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's earlier assertion that his policies had "damaged Africa".
Earlier, Portuguese PM Jose Socrates described the gathering - the first for seven years - as a "summit of equals". "It is important that people keep in mind that Africans fought for human rights from oppressive rule," said Mr Mugabe, who is regarded by many African leaders as the heroic liberator of Zimbabwe.
class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7134407.stm">Africa wary of trade offer class="" href="/1/hi/business/7131300.stm">Q&A: Trade deal The meeting was the first EU-African summit for seven years. Previous attempts had collapsed over the question of Mr Mugabe's attendance.
"We are equal in our human dignity... but also equal in terms of political responsibility," he said in an opening speech. Portuguese PM Jose Socrates, who earlier lauded the gathering as a "summit of equals", said it was an achievement in itself that the meeting had taken place.
Ghanaian President John Kufuor, who is also president of the African Union, said it was time to shake off the colonial past.
The EU is attempting to draw up a number of new Economic Partnership Agreements with former African colonies and regional blocs. The World Trade Organization wants the current preferential trade deals to expire at the end of the year.
African representatives are concerned that the new agreements are unbalanced and that their countries will not be able to compete with subsidised European goods.
Some states, though, in East Africa, have already signed up to the new deals.