Foreign affairs ministers of the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) will meet in Kigali this Monday to further discuss partnerships, cooperation and a post COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan.
This is the second time this kind of meeting happens since January 2019 and the ministers will be able to take stock of progress made since the fifth EU-AU Summit.
Ministers will also exchange views on the EU-AU partnership and how to strengthen cooperation and discussions will revolve around current issues of concern.
For example the ministers will look at the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, building resilience, investing in the digital and green transitions; peace, security and global governance; migration and mobility; education, science, technology and skills development according to the EU communique.
Ahead of the sixth EU-AU Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Brussels, Belgium early 2022, ministers are expected to identify the most important common priorities, opportunities and challenges for the agenda.
The meeting will be co-hosted by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the Vice-Premier Minister/Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo and President of the AU’s Executive Council, Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen’Apala.
The Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, will also attend the meeting.
