(this is part 6 of a 7-part series, see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4  Part 5 and Part 7 here)

On 27 March 2019, the Africa Practice at Specht & Partner co-organized the Ambassadors Breakfast meeting on “Africa China Europe with focus on One Belt, One Road (OBOR)”.

The Breakfast meeting was co-organized with the Austrian Chinese Business Association (ACBA) and Society Magazin. Our panelists included H. E. Mrs Faouzia Mebarki, Ambassador of Algeria, H.E Mr Li Xiosi Ambassador of the Republic of China, H.E. Mrs Vivian Nwunaku Rose Okeke Ambassador of Nigeria, Mr M. Elyes Lakhal, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Tunisia, Univ. Prof Dr, Adams Bodomo, and Mr DI Omar Al-Rawi member of the Local Council of Vienna, and Chairman of the Strabag Works Council. The meeting was well attended by members of the corporate, diplomatic, and NGO community interested in the OBOR project.

The Panel Discussion

Mr Elyes Lakhal is Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Republic of Tunisia to Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia in Vienna. Before his appointment in his current position, Mr. Lakhal was Deputy Director at the department of multilateral affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2017. He has also worked as the Tunisian delegate in charge of the 2nd committee, Economic and Social Council, UN General Assembly and the Executive board of UNDP and UNFPA, at the Permanent Mission of Tunisia in New York. Mr. Lakhal holds a masters in economics as well as certificates in post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization as well as intellectual property, transfer of technology and licensing.

Talk of Minister Counsellor Mr M. Elyes Lakhal at the Ambassadors Breakfast meeting – Africa China Europe with focus on One Belt, One Road

Minister Counselor Mr M. Elyes Lakhal informed us that on 12 July 2018, Tunisia has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with China in relation to the OBOR initiative. He explained that the relationship between Tunisia and China dates back to the Roman times, and that African countries are interested to join the OBOR initiative for many reasons but chief amongst those reasons is China´s policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of African countries. According to Mr Lakhal, for Tunisia the main advantages of the initiative are development of its infrastructure as a means of boosting its economy, increasing employment opportunities for its skilled and qualified youth, and boosting its tourism. The challenges faced by Tunisia are not different from those of other African countries, in this regards he mentioned that indebtedness towards China, and the limited Chinese FDI into Tunisia. He also cautioned that for the initiative to succeed periodic reviews should be carried out, African countries must be participants of UNCITRAL, and that China should open its markets to African exports. Although there is a solid framework and political basis for the initiative, he believes concrete projects are still lacking.

To learn more about the Ambassadors Breakfast meeting – Africa China Europe with focus on One Belt, One Road, please visit the other articles in our series:

Part 1: Dr. Leopold Specht’s remarks on the One Belt, One Road initiative

Part 2: The Chinese Ambassador to Austria, the Honorable Li Xiosi’s remarks on the One Belt, One Road initiative

Part 3: Professor Adams Bodomo of Ghana, Director of the Global African Diaspora Studies (GADS) Research Center at the University of Vienna, Austria, Chair of African Studies (Languages and Literature)

Part 4: H.E. Ambassador Vivian Nwunaku Rose Okeke, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Slovakia and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna

Part 5: H.E. Ambassador Faouzia Mebarki, Permanent Representative of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the United Nations (Vienna)

Part 6: Minister Counselor Elyes Lakhal is the Economic & Political Counselor at the Embassy of Republic of Tunisia to Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia in Vienna (current page)

Part 7: DI Omar Al-Rawi, member of the Socialist Party of Austria