Doha, November 24 (QNA) - Europe represents the foremost trading partner for African countries and their closest neighbor in the geopolitical arena, with all its intricate cultural and economic dimensions, as well as attendant security and commercial ramifications, amid significant transformations over the past decade.

This dynamic has prompted a coordinated European approach with broader horizons to surmount challenges and global competition, particularly in the spheres of military interventions and investment projects in a region that was historically regarded as Europe's backyard in the previous century.

The European Union and the African Union marks 25 years since the inaugural EU-AU Summit, held in Cairo, Egypt, in 2000, through the 7th AU-EU Summit, convened in Luanda, Angola, on Nov.24-25, 2025, under the theme: "Promoting Peace and Prosperity through Effective Multilateralism".

The summit's key pillars include enhancing cooperation, promoting investment, and advancing development in African nations.

The summit meetings aim to fortify African institutions, alongside refining operational mechanisms via ministerial engagements and regional and continental programs.

 Africa, through this summit, aspires to bridge significant gaps in food security, health essentials, basic medicines, and technological advancement, while concurrently providing new investment opportunities for Europe and devising solutions to European concerns regarding security and irregular migration.

The summit constitutes a landmark milestone, encapsulating 25 years of partnership and reinforcing economic, political, and social ties between the two continents.

The leaders convene against the backdrop of a resurgent wave of international diplomacy in Africa, particularly following the recent G20 Summit in South Africa, highlighting African leaders' intentions to cultivate broader global engagement despite a recent spate of military coups, recurrent internal and regional conflicts, and acute climatic challenges and droughts affecting several nations.

According to the official website established by the European Commission for the 7th EU-AU Summit, the EU provided support to the AU Commission amounting to EUR 600 million for the period 2022-2025 through the European Peace Facility, advancing the priorities of Africa's Agenda 2063, alongside EUR 1.3 billion to support African-led peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations, benefiting 21 African nations, while the EU currently deploys 12 civilian and military missions across the continent.

At the level of trade and investment, European foreign direct investment in Africa totals approximately EUR 239 billion, in addition to mobilizing around EUR 80 billion through the Global Gateway initiative, covering 138 flagship projects in clean energy, digital transformation, and infrastructure, and over 80 programs supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area.

EU imports from Africa rose 37 percent during 2014-2024, with manufactured goods increasing by 75 percent, from 29 to EUR52 billion, of which 71 percent constitutes raw materials, with fuel accounting for nearly half, according to European Commission figures.

Africa and Europe are jointly investing in skill development, scientific research, innovation, and academic mobility, allocating over EUR 3 billion for research and innovation partnerships since 2021, alongside more than EUR 1.3 billion implemented by African entities under Horizon Europe for grants and research projects.

Roughly 32,000 African students and academics participate in exchange programs under Erasmus+, further consolidating long-term cooperation and knowledge transfer between the continents. 

The first Cairo 2000 summit marked the inaugural step in fostering cooperation and partnership between Africa and the EU.

The summit's announced vision underscored strengthening political ties, encouraging subjects of mutual interest, and reinforcing effective multilateralism alongside people-centered partnerships.

The Cairo Plan of Action and the Declaration of Cairo laid the groundwork for continued collaboration across governance, peace and security, development, trade, and migration.

During the second summit in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2007, African and European leaders, together with the heads of continental institutions, adopted the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES), opening a new chapter in relations characterized by equality and reciprocity.

The strategy established eight strategic partnerships covering peace and security, democratic governance and human rights, trade and regional integration, Millennium Development Goals, energy and climate change, migration, and science, society, media, and space.

The Lisbon Summit was intended to chastise stagnation in cooperation and lay the foundation for profound joint initiatives.

The Tripoli Summit in Libya in 2010 further operationalized the JAES by adopting an Action Plan 2011-2013, aiming to enhance cooperation across the eight thematic partnerships outlined in 2007.

  The Tripoli Declaration emphasized economic growth, investment in education, conflict prevention, and climate change mitigation, while reinforcing Africa's voice in global governance.

At the Brussels Summit in Belgium in 2014, leaders established the 2014-2017 Roadmap, also known as the Common Action Plan, which identified five priority areas for collaboration, chiefly peace and security, democracy, governance and human rights, human development, sustainable and inclusive development and continental integration, and global and emerging issues.

This summit sought to flip the script on fragmented cooperation by providing a structured framework for measurable outcomes.

  The Abidjan Summit in Cote d'Ivoire in 2017 placed migration and security solutions at the forefront, following international uproar over the trafficking of African migrants in Libya.

The summit snagged out of the air Europe's urgent attention to dismantle criminal networks and reassert Africa's migration agenda. The European Union pledged a seven-year EUR150 billion in investment, prioritizing infrastructure, transport, digital networks, and energy, according to the final declaration.

The summit also showcased Africa's potential and underscored the need for strategic, results-driven partnerships.

In 2022, the sixth EU-AU Summit, again convened in Brussels, sought to renew and deepen the partnership and launched an ambitious Africa-Europe Investment Package under the title: "Africa and Europe: Two Continents, One Shared Vision to 2030".

The summit addressed key issues, including financing growth, agriculture and sustainable development, education, culture, and vocational training, migration and mobility, private sector support and economic integration, peace, security, and governance, and climate change.

 The EU reaffirmed its commitment to funding health systems and vaccine production post-COVID-19, ensuring the delivery of at least 450 million vaccine doses to Africa by mid-2022, while stressing the unwavering collaboration on WTO pandemic response measures and related intellectual property and trade aspects.

Despite decades of collaboration, several African nations have expressed frustration at the EU's inconsistent follow-through on prior commitments. Many funded projects fail to reach African markets with the urgency required, foreclosing efforts to revive their economies.

Africa's population is projected at approximately 1.5 billion in 2025, representing one-fifth of the world population, with 18.8 percent of global residents. Its wealth includes minerals such as gold, platinum, cobalt, diamonds, and uranium, alongside oil, natural gas, tropical timber, and extensive arable lands supporting agriculture.

  In essence, the EU's population stands at around 460 million in 2025, roughly 5.8 percent of the global population, making it the world's third-largest economy after the United States and China.

 Known for its integrated economic and trade model, the EU accounts for 22-25 percent of global GDP, yet in the past two years, it has faced significant contraction, with major economies such as Germany, France, and Italy shadowed by recession and stagnation. (QNA)