Seventh AU-EU Summit Opens in Luanda on Partnership

African and European leaders convened in Luanda, Angola, on Monday for the seventh African Union-European Union Summit, a two-day gathering marking 25 years of partnership between the two blocs and centered on promoting peace, prosperity, and effective multilateralism through enhanced economic and security cooperation.

The summit, hosted by Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, drew heads of state including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, Kenyan President William Ruto, Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa also attended, emphasizing the need for collaborative responses to shared challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, irregular migration, conflicts, and insecurity.

Before formal sessions began, European Union leaders held emergency discussions at a Luanda hotel to address tensions over a United States proposal...