THE last time that foreign ministers from both continents met, Russia had not launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war in Sudan had not begun, and France had not lost its influence in Africa’s Sahel region, where its military departed from last year.
Foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) on Wednesday vowed to strengthen cooperation for peace, security, and economic partnership between the two continents, stressing the urgency of moving from commitments to implementation.
Their pledge resulted from the third ministerial EU-AU meeting in Brussels, which the European Council said took stock of progress made since the last EU-AU Summit in February 2022.
A statement read out by the deputy chairperson of the AU commission said both parties “reaffirmed commitments to strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation as well as preserving the integrity of international law as the foundation for a just and fair global order.”
“It is important to sustain the collective efforts to increase inclusiveness and effectiveness of the multilateral institutions with the UN at its core; in the pursuit of peace and security, we have underscored the necessity of our continued cooperation,” the statement said.
The AU said both blocs also “committed to strengthening economic ties, promoting integrated and resilient markets, and encouraging investments that drive inclusive growth and create opportunities across both continents.”
Wednesday’s meeting, co-chaired by the EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and Tete António, Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, comes amid a rapidly changing geopolitical context and volatility.
The last time foreign ministers from both continents met, Russia had not launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, the war in Sudan had not begun, and France, a leading member of the 27-nation EU bloc, had not lost its influence in the Sahel, where its military departed from last year as Russia forged closer ties.
Kallas noted what she called “the fight of narratives everywhere”, with “misinformation being one of the tools that Russia is using, especially in Africa.”
“We have to fight the misinformation and foreign malign influence all the time, but it is, of course, increasingly hard,” said Kallas.
“But saying that does not mean that we have to give up. We still have to counter the narratives and fight the misinformation,” she stressed.
