1. Today, African Union and European Union Commissions engaged on their strategic partnership and reviewed progress in the implementation of the joint commitments taken at the 6^th EU-AU Summit in February 2022: renewed and enhanced cooperation for development, peace and security, enhanced and reciprocal partnership for migration and mobility and multilateralism and the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package in support of our common ambition for 2030 and the Africa Union's Agenda 2063.
    
2. The 11^th Commission-to-Commission meeting between the European Union and the African Union was co-chaired by President Ursula von der Leyen and Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. 20 EU Commissioners, the AU Commission Deputy Chairperson and 5 AU Commissioners participated, which is another demonstration of the strength of our partnership.
    
3. The Commissions noted that this year the war in Ukraine further adversely impacted the economies of Europe and Africa. They referred to national positions as expressed in the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly. The European Commission condemns in the strongest possible terms the war of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which is illegal, unjustified and unprovoked and causing immense human suffering, and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine.
    
4. The two Commissions expressed deep concern with the challenges to global food and energy security exacerbated by current conflicts and tensions.
    
5. In a series of working sessions, the two Commissions discussed the urgent issues facing both continents, and took stock of progress made in implementing the February Summit commitments in four key areas:

• Enhancing connectivity through economic integration: Digital, Energy, Transport, value chains and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
• Boosting human development: Health, Education (including TVET), Science, Technology, Innovation, Migration and Mobility.
• Building resilience for people through sustainable Food systems, tackling Climate and Environmental crises, and Humanitarian action.
• Peace, Security and Governance.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat said: “We value our strategic partnership with the European Union and its active support to Agenda 2063. We are meeting here in Brussels today within the framework of the follow up on the implementation of the February 2022 EU-AU Summit. The destinies of our two continents are interlinked and we want to continue building a partnership of equals for the benefit of sustainable development for all.”

European Commission President von der Leyen said: “Africa and Europe are bound by geography and a common destiny. The renewed EU-Africa partnership, as reaffirmed in our Summit in February, is of utmost importance to shape our common future, and a signal of our confidence in the potential of our relationship, in particular in these troubled times. Through sustainable investments worth at least EUR 150 billion, the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package is the EU's positive and substantiable offer, which will help strengthen the continent's resilience.”

 

(Extract from the official website of the European Comission)

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07th December 2022