Brussels, 17/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - During the sixth meeting of the EU-Nigeria ministerial dialogue in Brussels on Tuesday 15 March, a new milestone was reached by the EU and Nigeria in their cooperation to fight terrorism and in their common approach to migration.
Security formed an important part of the talks between High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the Nigerian delegation led by Nigeria's Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.
On behalf of the EU, Mogherini commended the progress achieved by the Nigerian army in the fight against Boko Haram, as well as the reform started by the government to tackle corruption.
Both parties believed that a way out of the crisis in Burundi through inter-Burundian dialogue was a priority. As regards migration, talks focused on the implementation of a common programme on migration and mobility, and on implementation of the action plan adopted at the EU-Africa summit in Valletta. Cooperation will focus on tackling the root causes of illegal migration, and also on taking advantage of the opportunities offered by well-managed legal migration.
A member of the Nigerian delegation, Nigeria's interior minister, visited the emergency response coordination centre of ECHO, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department. The Nigerian minister for industry, trade and investment met European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström in order to discuss the outlook for long-term EU-Nigeria partnership for trade and investment, but also the negative impact of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) on Nigeria's industrialisation, which Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari had mentioned to the European Parliament in February (see EUROPE 11483). The fifth EU-Nigeria Business Forum will be organised in 2016. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)