At a time when Africa is looking to a growing number of partners and the prospect of a pan-African free trade area becoming operational in July is becoming clearer, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, advocated, on Sunday 9 February in Addis Ababa, for a "reinvented" partnership with Africa, focusing on investment, employment and infrastructure.
He was speaking to the heads of state on the sidelines of the 33rd African Union summit, which ended on Monday. The event, organised on the theme ‘Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development’, ended on Monday under the auspices of South African President Syril Ramaphosa.
"I am here tonight to speak for 27 European countries. Twenty-two of them have never had any colonies", said Mr Michel. Anxious to reaffirm the "partnership of equals" proclaimed since 2007. He added that: "With Africa, Europe wants to talk about economic and human capital, trade, jobs, investment and infrastructure. Europe is reaching out to Africa so that we can map out a bright and promising future together".
In doing so, Charles Michel outlined some of the axes of the new integrated EU strategy for and with Africa which Commission Vice-President and High Representative Josep Borrell is due to present on 10 March (see EUROPE 12418/15). The European Commission and the Commission of the African Union will hold consultations on 27 February in Addis Ababa. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)