EU-AU Partnership
5th EU-AU summit Opens in Abidjan on Tuesday
Eighty-Eight (88) Heads of State, representing 55 African countries and 28 European countries are slated to attend high-level European Union-African Union (EU-AU) meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, starting from Tuesday.
The theme of the Summit is, “Investing in the Youth for a Sustainable Development”. President Buhari The President will participate in working sessions and meet with a number of African Heads of State and their European Union counterparts. Buhari will use the occasion of the summit to reiterate Nigeria’s readiness to work with African and European countries to address the challenges such as peace and security.
The EU-AU summit that will open tomorrow will be the 5th.
The government of Cote d’Ivoire will host an official luncheon in honour of visiting Heads of State and Government and other delegations. According to the organizers, 83 Heads of State Delegations from partner countries, the African Union Commission, the European Union Commission, regional and international organizations, will also participate at the Summit.
European Union President, Jean-Claude Juncker said “What happens in Africa matters for Europe, and what happens in Europe matters for Africa. Our partnership is an investment in our shared future. It is a partnership of equals in which we support each other, help each other to prosper and make the world a safer, more stable and more sustainable place to live.”
“The summit will be held under the overarching theme of “Youth”, and young people have played a vital role on the run up to the AU-EU Summit, notably through the Youth Summit, which took place in Abidjan on 9-11 October. The participants have developed a Youth Declaration, with concrete recommendations for European and African leaders. A selected group of young fellows have continued to work on these in the EU-funded intercontinental AU-EU Youth Plug-In Initiative.
Tomorrow, on 28 November 2017, ministers of Foreign Affairs from Europe and Africa will gather in Abidjan for a Ministerial meeting. During the AU-EU Summit itself, 29-30 November, leaders will discuss many areas that shape our common agenda: Peace and Security; Migration and Mobility; Connectivity and Job creation.
The EU is Africa’s main partner, and the summit will be an opportunity for both sides to scale up their partnership. The African Union (AU) and the EU need to tackle the common challenges of today, from fostering sustainable development and strengthening peace and security to boosting investment in the African continent and better managing migration