Abuja: The Angolan ambassador to Nigeria, Jos© Bam³quina Zau, emphasized the importance of pragmatism in Africa-Europe relations during a recent ceremony in Abuja. He noted that actions should be free from prejudice and bureaucracy, which often impede the implementation of crucial joint decisions.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the statement was made during the presentation of the 7th African Union-European Union Summit results to the diplomatic corps in Nigeria. Held in Luanda on November 24th and 25th, the summit addressed key issues affecting the continents. Zau stressed that Africa must not remain dominated by poverty while supplying essential raw materials globally. He highlighted investment in development as a means to mitigate the burdens of excessive debt.
Zau also pointed out that Africa has endured much injustice and discrimination, advocating for "justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations." He asserted that this matter is crucial for defining future relations concerning migration, mobility, and integration.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, expressed encouragement about the summit's outcomes, which proposed a new vision for cooperation between African and European financial institutions. He noted that the AU-EU partnership has evolved over the past 25 years, yielding tangible results in areas such as peace, security, green and digital transitions, economic integration, and education. This aligns with the EU's Global Gateway Investment Strategy, which has committed at least 150 billion Euros to these endeavors.
Additionally, Mignot highlighted the Africa-Europe Initiative's goal to support the development of manufacturing value chains in Africa, aligning with the AU's Agenda 2063. The initiative also aims to strengthen integration through efforts like the Continental Free Trade Area. Developed countries have pledged to mobilize at least 300 billion US dollars by 2035 from various sources to finance pan-African infrastructure and initiatives in climate action, agriculture, renewable energy, and industrialization.
The Luanda Declaration of November 25 recommends that Africa-Europe trade relations should foster stability and remain open and transparent within the international order. The ambassadors recognized the significance of the Peace Agreements for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), signed in Washington, D.C., as pivotal for building a prosperous future for the Congolese and African peoples.
Bam³quina Zau emphasized that peace in the DRC is crucial to overcoming barriers to stability and development in the Great Lakes region. The ambassadors called on the international community to support mediation efforts by Angola, the African Union, the United Nations, Qatar, and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who facilitated the signing of a peace agreement and a reconstruction plan for the DRC.
