Second African Union and European Union Ministerial Meeting: Facing Covid-19 at the heart of the discussions

The reaction to the Covid-19 outbreak and recovery following the global health catastrophe are being discussed at the second ministerial summit of the African Union (AU) – the European Union (EU), whose preparatory work began today with Morocco’s participation.

High-level officials from the African Union and the European Union’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs called for a strong and united partnership to confront the difficulties posed by the corona virus pandemic during their preliminary meeting.

Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Vice-Chairperson of the African Union Commission and head of the African Union Commission delegation, spoke about the chaos produced by the Covid-19 pandemic and the necessity for a strong Afro-European relationship to face common concerns in a speech.

“The world as we know it has altered quickly, with far-reaching ramifications that we are still trying to identify,” Nsanzabaganwa said, urging for increased cooperation between the African Union and the European Union to speed up the continent’s post-Covid growth.

“Africa needs all the essential support from its closest partners and allies to recover and rebuild itself better,” she said, referring to the epidemic’s catastrophic impacts.

According to Rita Laranjinha, Director-General of the European External Action Service, Europe and Africa must collaborate more closely on a variety of topics in order for both continents to have a brighter future.

“Africa and Europe share a common obligation to improve the global agenda,” she added, noting that the second AU-EU ministerial meeting was an essential step toward the sixth EU-AU summit, which will take place in Brussels in early 2022.

Ministers from Europe and Africa, according to Ms. Laranjinha, must identify the most essential priorities, perspectives, and common concerns to include on the agenda.

Participants at the second AU-EU ministerial conference will look at methods to build resilience and increase investments in digital and ecological transformation, in addition to the theme of the COVID-19 response. The second African Union-European Union ministerial conference, which will end in a joint declaration, will bring together around 500 participants, including more than 60 foreign ministers from the African Union and the European Union.

Morocco was represented at this preparatory meeting by a delegation that included Omar Amghar, Director of the European Union and Mediterranean Series, Radwan Dghoughi, Chief of the Regional Partnerships Section of the Greater Morocco Directorate and the African Maghreb Union Affairs, Mohamed El Atlassi, and the Political Adviser of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom in Addis Ababa, Yassine Ghouane.