Reform of the WTO and multilateralism are expected to be at the heart of the seventh EU-South Africa summit, which is taking place in Brussels on 15 November. Preparations are heating up for this important summit – the first in five years, with a new South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa. It will be an occasion for the two parties to strengthen their bilateral relations as part of the trade and cooperation agreement, but also on the multilateral level.
In Brussels on Wednesday 7 November, the national ambassadors to the EU reviewed the state of progress in these preparations and underlined the importance of geographical indications and cooperation with South Africa on reform of the WTO.
The summit will place special emphasis on trade and investment, on regional issues (Zimbabwe and the DRC on the South African side, and Ukraine and Brexit on the European side), and also on the next G20 (of which South Africa is a member), as well as on international issues such as implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Katowice COP 24 (2-14 December). The previous summit took place in Pretoria in 2013 (see EUROPE 10891). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)