APS : TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2017
ABIDJAN- The meeting of Foreign Affairs ministers of the African Union and the European Union, in preparation for the 5th AU-EU Summit, will examine, Tuesday in Abidjan, the prospects for the strengthening of partnership between the AU and EU, with a view to building a strategic partnership, said Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel.
This first ever meeting held with the participation of all AU and EU member states will also examine the political declaration of the Summit and the document on priority joint projects, Messahel told APS on the eve of the 5th AU-EU Summit, scheduled for 29 and 30 November in the capital of Cote d’Ivoire.
“Strategic issues, especially those related to peace and security, governance, migration, climate change as well as the strengthening of investment between the AU and the EU are high on the Summit’s agenda,” he said.
As regards the theme of peace and security, Algeria will present the memorandum of President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika on the African strategy for fight against terrorism and violent extremism, as the AU coordinator on this issue, added the Foreign minister.
The 5th AU-EU Summit, which will be held under the main theme of “Investing in Youth for a Sustainable Future,” is in line with Africa’s priorities, said Messahel.
The other issue of strategic importance for Africa resides in the examination of the list of joint strategic economic projects, for which the African side seeks to get the necessary funding from the EU, he added.
“These projects have been selected according to some criteria related to their strategic, structuring and regional importance as well as continental integration,” explained Messahel.
To that end, a joint technical committee has been set up to finalize, in the next three months, the technical and financial arrangements for their implementation, added the Foreign minister.
