On 5 December ministers from Africa and Europe met in Egypt to agree on the final preparations for the Heads of State and Governments Summit which will take place this week-end, 8-9 December. The preparatory meeting agreed on the agenda of the Lisbon summit as well as the Lisbon Declaration, the Africa-EU Strategy and the Action Plan, that all should be endorsed at the Summit.
The Lisbon Declaration states that: “The EU/Africa Summit, which gathers the European Union and the African Union, offers us a unique opportunity to face together today’s challenges in our continents, in the year when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European integration and the 50th anniversary of the beginning of African independence.”
A final communiqué that stresses the importance of the strategic relationship between Europe and Africa was also approved during the meeting.
In an opening statement, Dr Maxwell M Mkwezalamba, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs of the African Union said that: “on the African side, we are committed to upholding the principles of the partnership to accomplish the objectives clearly contained in the Joint Strategy. […] The peoples of both Africa and Europe expect a lot and they must not be disappointed. We must prove to them that this is not just another exercise of empty rethoric without much action.”
Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said in an EC press release that: “We need to consider this Summit as a launch-pad for a new era in the relationship between Europe and Africa. This Summit must mark the end of a relationship rooted in conservatism and sometimes in prejudice on both sides and mark the start of a recognition of the real opportunities that are at hand for both sides. For this to be achieved we must work hand-in-hand with our African partners to ensure a partnership of equals not just in rights but also in duties, and not just in words but also in concrete deeds.”
Read more on the Portuguese Presidency website
See also African Union press release (in French)
