Last Thursday, the sixth European Union-African Union summit kicked off in Brussels, with the aim of rectifying and strengthening strategic partnership among European and African countries. Hence, it’s also believed that this summit plays a significant role in realizing the intent of past declarations and delivering applicable solutions.
It was 22 years ago, when Africa-EU Partnership was formally established in Cairo and has been traditionally held every three years since then. Nevertheless, this summit was postponed for a year due to the pandemic.
This long-awaited summit creates an opportunity for the 27 EU and 55 AU heads of state and their delegations to meet in roundtables and flesh out concrete and deliverable initiatives.
Essentially, the current circumstances of both the AU and EU can serve as fertile ground to enhance their partnership. Currently, it has become an urgent issue for Africa to improve its economy in post COVID-19 while the European investments can providentially exploit the investment opportunities. Nevertheless, AU and EU summits are often criticized as they could bring seldom benefits particularly for African countries.
It seems that this criticism lacks authenticity and balance as these days, African nations are strengthening their relations besides cultivating the progressively increasing the China-Africa and Russia-Africa partnership.
More importantly, the critics’ views would be invalid as AU leaders continue understanding Europe strategies and interacting with their European partners through initiating deeper and renewed partnership.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was attending the summit twitted, “I firmly believe that the EU-AU Summit will produce the inputs we need to deepen current and future cooperation and partnership between the two continents in order to achieve sustainable development. Ethiopia, as a founding member of the AU, will play its role in this regard.” Strong and applicable assertion! As the Prime Minister is well aware the demanding circumstances Africa is facing, he underscored the takeaways from the summit that would help in realizing the sustainable development.
Convincingly, the Prime Minister’s bold affirmation, “Ethiopia, as a founding member of the AU, will play its role in this regard,” supremely highlights the contributions Ethiopia has been doing to ensure sustainable peace and security across the continent. It’s has been a well-established fact, Ethiopia has been and continues to be an emblem for independence and sovereignty for other African nations. Even recently, when the western media and some its leaders tried to pose serious challenges, Ethiopians, just as they had done in the earlier days, have consistently withstood irrelevant pressures and interferences.
Because of its irreproachable and consistent stance, the effects of disinformation and pressures in favor the terrorist TPLF by the terrorist’s lobbyists and their media outlets have now become futile.
To the benefits for all Africans and beyond, Ethiopia shall continue playing its exemplary roles across the continent. All in all, the sixth edition of AU-EU summit would indisputably play a significant role in advancing the strategic partnership between the two continents.
It’s time for the European leaders to encourage investments that would boost continent’s economy through liberating it from aid dependence.
They should also establish proper framework that facilitates proper allocation of the 150 billion euro that the EU and its members intend to spend on Africa over the next seven years.
In this regard, Ethiopia will continue playing its commendable roles as the other African nations continue supporting it for all Africans are standing for similar purpose.
The Ethiopian 19 February 2022
