The European Commission and the African Union held a meeting on Monday to review relations and relaunch key projects for the development of the link between continents, agreeing to disburse 750 million in transport and energy investments in Africa.
The funds come from the ‘Global Gateway’ key infrastructure program with which Europe aims to counter Chinese influence on the continent. Of the total amount that the European Commission and the EU-27 aim to mobilize, half, 150 billion, will go to the construction of works of strategic importance in Africa, they said in a joint statement.
«Africa and Europe are united by a common geography and a common destiny», stressed the President of the European Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, who called for exploiting the full potential of the relationship and pointed out that the European funds are a «positive and substantial offer» to strengthen the continent.
At the meeting, the two commissions agreed to launch a 750 million euro program to support investments in transport infrastructure, including strategic corridors, digitalization and energy connections in Africa.
They also addressed the global food crisis and welcomed the mobilization of an additional 570 million euros for Africa, bringing grants to nearly 4.5 billion, as well as working groups for short- and long-term challenges related to access and price of fertilizers.
Both commissions have pointed to the impact of the war in Ukraine on the economies of Europe and Africa and referred to the UN Security Council and UN Assembly votes. However, only the European Commission condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as «illegal, unjustified and unprovoked and causing enormous suffering».
