Brussels, 17/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 18 September, the fifth EU-South Africa summit in Brussels will be dominated by the state of the global economy, bilateral trade relations, the conflict in Syria, the fight against terrorism in Somalia and the Sahel and peace and security in the Middle East and Africa (see EUROPE 10689). The Europeans hope that this summit, which will be jointly chaired by HermanVan Rompuy and José Manuel Barroso on the European side, and by South African President Jacob Zuma, will help to intensify the strategic partnership in place between the two parties since 2007, increase the level of their relationship and complete the bilateral trade, development and cooperation agreement (TDCA) signed in 1999.
“The summit comes at an important juncture, at a time when bold actions are required to accelerate global economic recovery and to consolidate our partnership to stimulate growth and employment.(…) We have a joint responsibility to help Somalia and the Sahel achieve lasting peace and development, and to break the spiral of violence and repression in Syria. And we are interested in reinforcing cooperation against piracy, a scourge that affects both South Africa and the European Union”, Van Rompuy said on the eve of the summit. For his part, Mr Barroso spoke of a “new milestone in our relationship with a key EU partner in Africa and on the global stage” and stressed that the “strategic partnership also entails a close collaboration in multilateral fora, be it at the G20 or at the recent Rio +20 summit”.
As regards work to seek a solution to Syria, South Africa, a member of the UN Security Council, can also play a key role. “Its good relations with China and Russia may help to find common ground at the Security Council”, European sources stressed. (AN/transl.fl)