On May 16, 2023, the Europe-Africa International Forum, organized by La Tribune and La Tribune Afrique in partnership with the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Area, was held at the Palais du Pharo in Marseille. This second edition served as a major platform for fostering innovative solutions and cooperation between the two continents. Under the theme “New Ambitions, New Resources, New Technologies,” Mr. Ylias Akbaraly—Chairman of REDLAND (the holding company for Thomson Broadcast, GatesAir, and the Sipromad Group)—was invited to speak and share his vision on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He spoke alongside Mr. Thierry Moungala (Minister of Communication and Media, Spokesperson for the Government of the Republic of the Congo), Mr. Gilberto Antonio (Senior Advisor to the Secretary General of the AfCFTA), Ms. Marlène Ngoyi (CEO of the Fund for the Development of Exports in Africa (FEDA)), and Mr. Frédéric Ronal (Vice President of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Ylias Akbaraly served as the panelist representing the private sector and spoke about the challenges and the need for unity and cooperation, which will be the strength of tomorrow’s Africa. He had already expressed this position during his most recent remarks on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, where he also emphasized the importance of the African private sector in investment and industrialization for the realization of the AfCFTA.
During his visit to Marseille, he was invited by Ms. Martine Vassal—President of the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolitan Area—to the metropolitan area’s headquarters. They had fruitful discussions about opportunities for collaboration between Redland and the region.