Asia is the great protagonist of the 21st century and the gravitational force of such historical fact is clearly expressed in elements of high global incidence: participation in the product and in trade on a global scale, in addition to its demographic incidence with close to 60 percent percent of the planetary population in its territory, specifically in four Asian countries (Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan).
These factors suggest that this region will produce half of the population growth forecast for 2050.
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A good part of the geopolitical trends acquire materiality in Asia; countries like Japan, India, China, Turkey and Indonesia are decisive in the structure of the G20. There are also 40 of the largest megalopolises on the planet, characterized by their ethnic and cultural diversity, the shifting of wealth (shifting wealth) to the East, as well as an oppressive poverty that offers disturbing scenarios in densely inhabited and unequal countries.
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The variety of natural resources with water epicenters such as the Himalayas, profound impacts in terms of deterioration of the biosphere and climate problems, multiple religious conflicts, manifestations of ethnonationalism, migratory flows, enormous achievements in educational and technological matters, strong autocratic tendencies in the political order and difficulties in terms of human rights, the advances of women in contrast to the subsistence of oppressive forms that are inadmissible in light of universal principles, the seriousness of health problems, epidemics and natural disasters, the complexity of the relations between society and the wild world, are all elements that account for that decisive role that makes the great continent an unavoidable destination for Colombia and an essential component of our foreign policy.
Africa, for its part, will go from having 1,206 million inhabitants today, to 2,508 million in 2050 and some 4,387 million in 2100. Courrier International, the weekly that selects and translates more than 1,500 prestigious sources throughout the world, has dedicated a good part of its editions of the last five years to technology-based ventures in the poor neighborhoods of West African cities.
The Economist has also published multiple reports. The one entitled ‘The laboratory of the technological revolution’, which talks about the applications of drone technology in the distribution of medicines, as well as applications with a high social content in mobile telephony and in the Internet, causes an impression among them. marketing system, to this are added the payments and nanocredits on the cell phone platform. The latter is used today by millions of micro-entrepreneurs and tens of thousands of cocoa, coffee and cotton farmers in numerous countries.
According to the prestigious British magazine, African entrepreneurs “are no longer content to copy or adapt, but develop their own innovations by interpreting local needs.”
And Le Monde summoned the European ruling class, six years ago in the city of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, to the Seminar ‘Africa, Future of the World’.
I respectfully reaffirm my statement from two years ago here in A fondo: Colombia needs intraocular surgery to correct the short vision that affects our leaders, and also requires the spiritual tonic of the missionaries of the academy who have shown us the other side. of Asia, Africa and Oceania, that of technological development, innovation and social inclusion.
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By virtue of the foregoing, the statement of the members of the Latin American Association of Asian and African Studies (Aladaa), Node Colombia and the Colombian Network of International Relations (Redintercol) is of great importance, in which they express their interest in participating in the conversations that have been convened in the construction of the National Development Plan 2022-2026.
With full independence, the academics highlight the historical moment of the country in the evolution towards a society with greater equity in social opportunities and a better connection with the world.
However, in a clear message to the President of the Republic, the entire ministerial cabinet and the Directorate of the National Planning Department, they state that by doing a detailed reading of the document, recently shared by the National Government, the bases for the construction of the National Development Plan ‘Colombia World Power of Life’. In these they have found with bewilderment that there is no reference to strategies or actions regarding efforts that promote the development and strengthening of Colombia’s ties with the countries of Asia and Africa.
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The academics point out that Colombia’s historical lag in integration with these continents is evident, which represent, in their qualified opinion, a high opportunity cost in the diversification of commercial partners, the attraction of foreign investment, the spaces for Colombian businessmen in technology transfer and markets and new educational horizons for our youth.
With very good documentation, the academy, as part of the nation, provides incontrovertible data. In the Asian region, by 2030, there will be 2.4 billion people in the new middle class with great purchasing power, according to the World Bank. That is where they should look at our trade policy and, its inseparable sister, our sustainable reindustrialization policy. Africa, for its part, will be the continent with the greatest attraction of foreign investment and the largest demographic dividend on earth.
The requests of Aladaa and the Intercol Network are very specific: incorporate elements of international insertion within the Development Plan, thus in axis 4 of ‘Internationalization, productive transformation for life and climate action’, it will be possible to count on the contributions of countries like South Korea, Japan, India and China; in terms of bioeconomy, knowledge society and innovation. In addition, the relationship with the Asian economies makes it possible to set agendas for dialogue, exchange and cooperation.
Regarding financing, as long as Colombia sharpens its negotiating capacity as part of the new task of foreign policy, it is possible to achieve progress with Asian banks in connection with economic corridor programs, physical connectivity, secondary roads, railways, tunnels, among others. others.
Regarding the relationship with Africa, our reindustrialization can find spaces of merit in agri-food chains. This is how the commercial outposts teach it.
In the spheres of microfinancing and nanocredit supported by platforms where India and its investments in Africa are at the forefront, our effort to formalize and develop the popular economy will assimilate experiences and offer assistance from the SENA and other agencies.
In sustainable tourism, a clear commitment from the Petro government, taking advantage of the clear criteria under which ambassadors have been appointed for missions in Africa, academics detect valuable experiences in countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Tanzania. And of course, as is internationally recognized, the African continent has the potential to contribute to the axis of ‘total peace’ through the post-conflict experiences in countries such as South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and the Congo.
I am one of the signatories of the statement in question. My decades of study on Asia, Eurasia and Latin America are the foundation that allows us to recommend with well-founded reasons the targeting of the suggested approach.
Although in foreign policy the accumulated achievements cannot be ignored and there are always positive aspects to rescue, in the case of the government that has taken the reins of the country, it will be necessary to introduce rectifications and build new lines of action, some already point to visible achievements, such such as the reopening with Venezuela, the demonstrations in the multilateral arenas, the rethinking of the international policy against drugs and the cooperation with the United States for the defense of the Amazon, that planetary corner that houses a fifth of the world’s fresh water.
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Now it is convenient to reiterate the fundamental assertion: Colombia must have a multidirectional international policy with multiple belonging, high negotiating capacity, citizen participation, committed to planetary sustainability, with a redesigned Pan-Americanism and projection to other continents, deepening the efforts that began in the last decade to forge a consolidating relationship with Europe, growing commitment to tangible achievements with Asia and systematic progress in its relations with Africa and Oceania.
Of course, the Latin American issue and the migration issue have priority.
The modification of the action against Venezuela, seeking the reestablishment of channels of the type of special envoys and consular attention to citizens and favoring respect for the sovereignty of the two countries. These are negotiated processes that allow the problems in each country to be overcome, which are the order of the day in foreign policy. The start of the rectification has been remarkable.
I identify with the concepts of multialignment. Colombia’s foreign policy must empower itself in the new geography of the world, increasing its negotiating capacity with the great traditional and emerging powers, recognizing convergences without subordination and managing a broad understanding without labels, ideological charges, economic dogmatism and a deep awareness of its own odds.
I also share the vision of Colombia’s active participation in the multilateral arena, with proactive leadership on issues such as global financial architecture, the intelligent fight against climate change in pursuit of decarbonization, global management in the face of major health threats and the Forging of agreements to regulate the use of data analytics without undermining the defense of individual freedom, the construction of innovative agreements against the issue of drugs, migration and global peace.
I see a great coincidence in the demand for reciprocity and mutual benefit in trade policy. If there is capacity, real negotiating capacity, the faithful of these decisions will be the reciprocal benefit and the progress of the national productive sector under the precepts of productive transformation, innovation and technological development.
The mandate: industrial policy and trade policy are two wings of the same bird.
And that is where institutional adjustments are decisive. We already affirmed it: the close relations between the portfolios of Foreign Relations and Trade, Industry and Tourism are one of the axes in modern public management.
Diplomatic missions have to be adjusted, with compact embassies, we can expand the network and have a higher performance foreign service. The political cadres of the Foreign Ministry must be of the highest level: qualified and competitive diplomats. The inter-institutional relations of the entities participating in the foreign service require harmony and synergy. The Foreign Ministry and ProColombia must be Siamese twins if we want to respond to the challenges posed by the poor export performance and the export supply crisis. A Ministry of Foreign Relations that once again plants the national flag in the geographical panorama of the world.
JUAN ALFREDO PINTOFormer Ambassador to India and Turkey. Member of Aladaa and Red Asia*
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