EU Council President Charles Michel officially opened the two-day EU-Africa Summit in Brussels today. According to Michel, this important meeting was prepared together with Senegalese President Macky Sall and the commissions of the European Union and the African Union (AU). The former Belgian Prime Minister emphasized that a new form of cooperation and partnership must now be established.
The EU and its member states have provided funds to enable vaccine production in Senegal, South Africa and Rwanda. This is the first step towards a broader cooperation, says Michel. “We’re not here to do business as usual.”
“Common and Often Painful History”
Europe has a lot in common with Africa, and they have a common, albeit often painful, history. Africa is a “dynamic continent” and Europe and Africa are ready to work together in the spirit of equality and dignity. “Europe cannot be safe and stable if Africa is not,” emphasized Michel. Both continents are called upon to take action once morest illegal migration, but at the same time it is important to create legal migration opportunities.
The incumbent President of the African Union, Senegal’s President Sall, also spoke of a long common history and emphasized the need for cooperation in the face of many challenges such as climate change, the pandemic and the fight once morest terrorism. “Africa has changed a lot,” says Sall, many more countries are now democratic. Africa offers many economic opportunities for Europe, but support for infrastructure projects is also needed.
Nehammer: Cooperation in Migration
For Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), the summit is an “important initiative” to develop concepts once morest illegal migration and to combat the causes of flight. Because “the best protection once morest illegal migration is to ensure that people do not set off in the first place”.
This requires both economic cooperation and investments – for example in the field of education. According to Nehammer, the EU is planning several initiatives worth around 70 billion euros. He told ORF.at that on the one hand this is important for security, on the other hand it offers people in Africa prospects for the future.
Many topics on the agenda
Nehammer also emphasized the importance of dialogue and talks at eye level with the African partners. The Federal Chancellor will co-chair a round table on education, culture and vocational training as well as migration and mobility.
In the followingnoon, the two-day EU-Africa summit, attended by 40 high-ranking representatives of African countries, began. The topics range from climate protection and vaccine production to migration and security issues.
