Summit
6 December 2007
Pretoria: South African President Thabo Mbeki will on Friday, 7 December
2007 depart for Lisbon, Portugal where he will join African and European Heads
of State and Government at the second European UnionâAfrica Summit scheduled
from Saturday 8 December 2007 to Sunday, 9 December 2007.
President Mbeki will attend this summit within the context of South Africa's
priority to strengthen relations with the European Union with a view to the
consolidation of the African Agenda and meeting the objectives of New
Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad). For its part, South Africa in
October this year finalised the South AfricaâEuropean Union Strategic
Partnership and participates in the EU's Trade and Development Co-operation
Agreement (TDCA).
The African continent also has strong relations with Europe. In this regard,
the EU is a major player in the development process of the African continent,
an increase in the number of external partners, the introduction of new
instruments and increased financial resources illustrate a vibrant contribution
towards a Strategic Partnership between the two vast continents.
The AfricaâEU Strategic Partnership aims to reduce and eventually eradicate
poverty on the African continent through the support for sustainable economic,
social and environmental development, promotion of the gradual integration of
the developing countries into the world economy, sharing its own (EU)
experiences regarding regional integration and a determination to combat
inequality. The key focus will be on creating the necessary economic
environment for development.
It is expected that Heads of State and Government will endorse the joint
AfricaâEU Strategy at the Summit. The Strategy is based on four pillars:
* peace and security
* good governance and human right
* trade and regional integration
* key development issues - focussing specifically on the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs); development co-operation; human and social development, gender
equality, environmental sustainability and climate change, migration and
development, agriculture and food security, infrastructure; water and
sanitation, energy; development of knowledge-based societies; and cultural
co-operation.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
6 December 2007
