Keypoints:
- Leaders push for stronger multilateral reforms
- EU chases minerals and migration deals
- Africa demands value-adding investment
EUROPEAN and African leaders on Tuesday sought to redefine their political and economic relationship as the EU–African Union summit in Luanda entered its final day, with both sides emphasising trade, migration and a more balanced global order.
Calls to rebuild a strained multilateral system
The meeting in Angola came at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension, following a G20 gathering in South Africa and renewed uncertainty over Washington’s approach after the latest US proposal on ending the Ukraine conflict. Against that backdrop, leaders in Luanda warned that the global rules-based system needed urgent reinforcement.
European Council President Antonio Costa said on X that Europe and Africa were ‘pushing for a stronger multilateral order, one that protects the United Nations Charter, reinforces the rules-based approach, and brings stability and predictability to a world that urgently needs both’.
Opening the summit on Monday, Angola’s President Joao Lourenco urged the rescue of multilateralism, citing conflicts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East as evidence the current system was fraying.
Leadership turnout tempered by absences
The summit marks 25 years of EU–AU relations, attracting leaders including South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Kenya’s William Ruto and Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh. From Europe, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Poland’s Donald Tusk and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez joined the gathering, with analysts noting that attendance itself signals how seriously Brussels takes its African partnerships.
But the line-up was dented by last-minute disruptions. Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen, Luxembourg’s Luc Frieden and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas were grounded by flight delays. Others, including Merz, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, departed after the first day, skipping Tuesday’s final discussions.
Europe’s search for minerals meets Africa’s push for value
Central to the talks is a shifting economic landscape. The EU remains Africa’s largest commercial partner, with goods and services trade totalling 467bn euros ($538bn) in 2023. Yet Brussels is increasingly seeking diversification away from the United States after tariff-heavy policies resumed under President Donald Trump, while facing intensified competition from China, the US and Russia for access to Africa’s critical minerals.
European leaders used the Luanda platform to push for deeper cooperation on irregular migration and access to minerals essential to their green transition. African governments, however, stressed that they want value-adding investments that go beyond raw extraction and create jobs.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof emphasised that ‘for our peace, security and wellbeing, cooperation between our continents is essential’.
Global Gateway takes centre stage
Brussels is positioning its Global Gateway initiative as its answer to China’s Belt and Road drive. One of its flagship projects, the Lobito Corridor in Angola, featured heavily during the summit. Co-funded with the United States, the rail link aims to move copper and cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the Atlantic, supporting both African export ambitions and Europe’s mineral security.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a business forum that Africa ‘has everything it takes to deliver prosperity at home and to shape the global economy of tomorrow’. She said opportunities were clear but warned that delivering them required ‘the right kind of investments’.
As discussions wrapped up, both continents vowed to deepen cooperation, though analysts noted that Europe’s credibility hinges on turning declarations into sustained action across Africa.
