AS Africa and Europe prepared for the 7th European Union–African Union (EU-AU) Summit held in Luanda this week, we stand shoulder to shoulder, drawing on the valuable lessons of our shared history, and with renewed joint ambitions firmly focused on the future.
The year 2025 marks 25 years of EU-AU partnership and 50 years of Angola’s and many other African nations’ independence — milestones that remind us of how far we have come and how much more we can achieve together.
Europe and Africa are bound together in an increasingly fast-changing world that demands solidarity, innovation and a common purpose.
The challenges we face today — climate change, digital transformation, irregular migration, conflicts and insecurity - know no borders.
The response to this multipolar world must be multipolar cooperation. And together, Africa and Europe can lead the way.
Africa’s greatest asset is its youth: dynamic, innovative and determined.
With Europe’s experience, technology and investment, we can work together to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities — creating green jobs, driving digital growth and ensuring no one is left behind.
Over the past 25 years, the AU–EU partnership has grown deeper, broader, and more strategic. The EU is Africa’s leading trading partner, investor and collaborator in peace and development, because our prosperity and security are inextricably linked.
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Through the Global Gateway Africa–Europe Investment Package worth €150 billion (US$173,1 billion), our flagship projects are already transforming lives across the African continent, supporting initiatives ranging from vaccine production to digital infrastructure and sustainable agriculture.
We are powering Africa’s clean energy future. Our “Scaling Up Renewables for Africa” campaign has already mobilized €15,5 billion (US$17,9 billion) to accelerate this transformation.
These investments will help develop strategic clean industries from start to finish, create good jobs across the continent, and bring electricity to millions of people.
We are also advancing regional integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area, supporting trade facilitation, digitalisation, and value-chain development across key sectors.
In peace and security, Europe stands as Africa’s closest ally, with over €1 billion (US$1,15 billion) provided through the European Peace Facility and 12 civilian and military missions working hand in hand with African counterparts to support African-led solutions.
Our cooperation on mobility and education is equally vibrant: Since 2022, more than 30 000 African and 18 000 European students and professionals have exchanged knowledge and experience through EU-supported programmes.
Together, we are building new bridges — shaping a fairer, greener and more secure world based on shared values and mutual respect.
As we look to the next 25 years, our message from Luanda is clear: Africa and Europe stand united in ambition, equal in partnership, and determined to unlock the full potential of our people, especially our youth.
This is the time for a bold and forward-looking AU-EU partnership.
- Costa is the current president of the European Council, which is the EU institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. Prior to that, he was the prime minister of Portugal between November 2015 and April 2024.
