CAPE TOWN - EU leaders and AU member states will meet in Brussels for the sixth EU-AU Summit on February 17 and 18, the European regional bloc said on Monday.
The summit will present an opportunity to lay the foundations for a renewed and deeper AU-EU partnership with the highest political involvement and based on trust and a clear understanding of mutual interests, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said on Tuesday.
In the run-up to the summit, the first edition of the Africa-Europe Week will be a key moment to bring together young people, civil society and the private sector from Africa and Europe to discuss the aspects of the Africa-EU partnership that matter to them the most.
African and European civil society organisations and local authorities have prepared two forums towards “participatory and transparent governance: a people-centred approach” for the African-European partnership, it said.
The programme includes joint opening and closing sessions that will concentrate on the role of civil society organisations and local authorities in the partnership, as well as two dedicated forums that will focus on more specific themes and topics.
Sessions are designed to be inclusive and interactive. They will support meaningful exchanges to forge key messages and recommendations on a joint and constructive future for both continents.
The seventh EU-Africa Business Forum (EAB), which will take place from February 14 to18, is co-organised by the European Commission, the African Union Commission, as well as EU and African business organisations. The forum will increase opportunities for sustainable economic partnerships and investment.
The seventh edition of the forum focuses on building stronger value chains for sustainable growth and decent jobs.
According to the EU, during the Africa-Europe Week the cultural track will stimulate inter-cultural dialogue and exchanges on cultural relations between Africa and Europe.
A variety of cultural activities, including workshops, debates, film screenings and concerts, will be an integral part of the Africa-Europe Week and link closely with culture-related events under the youth and civil society/local authorities components, as well as the EU-Africa Business Forum with its strong creative industries dimension.
The last AU-EU Summit took place more than four years ago in November 2017 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
IOL