Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The foreign ministers of the European Union and the African Union are meeting for the third time to assess progress made since the sixth EU-AU Summit in February 2022.
The ministers will exchange views on the EU-AU partnership and ways to strengthen cooperation in this historic year, which marks the 25th anniversary of their long-standing and unique partnership. According to a statement issued by the federal institutions in Brussels, during the meeting held today, Wednesday, discussions will revolve around the following topics:
Peace, security, and governance
Multilateralism
Prosperity
People, migration, and mobility
The meeting will be co-chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaya Kallas, and the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tete António, Chairperson of the African Union Executive Council.
Africa is a geopolitical priority for the European Union amid increasing geopolitical volatility. The European Union and its Member States remain Africa's leading trading partner, investor, donor of official development assistance, and humanitarian donor, with foreign direct investment reaching €309 billion in Africa in 2022.
2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the EU-AU partnership, a crucial year for the partnership, as it will see the third EU-AU Ministerial Meeting and the seventh EU-AU Summit in Africa. The European statement in Brussels concluded, "The EU and Africa can be a powerful force when they work together."