Ethiopia's prime minister stated that the increase in trade and investment from China and India, along with greater tolerance from traditional partners, has positively impacted Africa's development. He mentioned that the external environment has become more favorable for African countries to determine their own future. China's trade with Africa has significantly grown from $364 million in 1978 to $40 billion in 2005, while India's trade increased from $613 million to $11 billion in the same period. This influx of money, along with the no-strings-attached trade and aid policies of these nations, has led Western donors to relax restrictions on funding in Africa. Meles noted a notable shift in attitudes among traditional partners in development, as well as a greater acceptance of different approaches to development in Africa. He pointed out that the interest shown by India and China has brought new opportunities for investment and technology, leading to significant foreign direct investment and rapid economic growth in Africa. Despite the continent's average growth of 5.8 percent in 2007, intra-African trade remains low, making up only a small portion of total trade on the continent, as reported by the African Union. Meles addressed development issues such as food and energy price increases and the impact of climate change on Africa's economies at an African Union-UN Economic Commission for Africa conference. He mentioned that China and India's growing demand for food, raw materials, and commodities had both positive and negative effects on Africa, leading to a rise in commodity prices and potential risks to African economies. The African Union and United Nations released a statement warning that the rising prices of staples had caused social disturbances in several African countries in 2008, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, and Mauritania. Abdoulie Janneh, U.N. under-secretary general and executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, stated that the continent will need to find a way to balance its roles as both a producer and consumer in response to the global issue of high food and oil prices. Janneh emphasized the importance of ensuring that these crucial goods remain affordable without hindering the market's signaling mechanism for boosting production.