The 7th African Union–European Union Summit took place in Luanda, Angola, on November 24–25 under the theme “Promoting Peace and Prosperity through Effective Multilateralism.” The Summit coincided with the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the African Union and the European Union, as well as the 50th anniversary of Angola’s Independence Day. This Summit builds upon the deliberations of the 6th AU–EU Summit held in Brussels in 2022, as well as the outcomes of the Third AU–EU Ministerial Committee Meeting convened in Brussels in May 2025. A delegation led by President Taye Atske Selassie participated in the event.
The Summit was attended by 14 Presidents, 15 Prime Ministers, 7 Vice Presidents and 2 Vice Prime Ministers, and 15 Ministers leading delegations, in addition to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, AU Commission Chairperson Mohamed Ali Youssouf, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, various Ministers and high-level officials from both sides. The presence of Heads of State and Government, higher officials and high-ranking representatives significantly elevated the value and visibility of the Summit.
President Taye addressed the Summit under the agenda item “Peace, Security, and Multilateralism.” The President underlined the significant value of the longstanding support provided by the European Union in countering instability in the Horn of Africa. He emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation to ensure the effective implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 and stressed the importance of giving due attention to preventive diplomacy to mitigate conflicts before they escalate.
The President also underlined the need to preserve and consolidate the hard-won gains secured through immense sacrifices in fighting terrorism in the Horn of Africa, through AU-led peace support operations. With regard to the situation in Sudan, the President affirmed that ending the crisis requires prioritizing a “Sudanese-led peace process.” On Prosperity, he noted the importance of further consolidating cooperation under the Global Gateway framework, especially in the areas of investment, economic and social development. He further stressed the importance of expanding opportunities for youth skills development, noting that this is crucial for harnessing Africa’s demographic potential. The President also highlighted the necessity of strengthening Africa’s representation in multilateral forums, particularly within the UN Security Council, and underscored that reforming the global financial architecture is essential to secure sustainable, long-term benefits for both Africa and Europe.
Furthermore, President Taye held bilateral discussions on the margins of the Summit with leaders and senior officials from Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and other countries on a range of issues of mutual interest. The President also held a pull-aside meeting with other high-level officials.
The Senior Officials Meeting was held prior to the Summit on Sunday (November 23) to initiate preparations for the Summit. The draft Declaration was reviewed and amended through a series of discussions by AU Member States. A delegation led by Ambassador Hirut Zemene participated in the Senior Officials Meeting. The meeting adopted the Agenda and Program of Work of the leader’s meeting and considered both the Joint Monitoring Report of the 6th AU-EU Summit and the draft Declaration of the 7th AU-EU Summit.
The participation of many European and African leaders, as well as other high-level officials, has significantly attracted high attention to the Summit. The leaders consistently underscored the deep and direct interlinkages between Africa’s economic development, peace and security landscape, and Europe’s own stability and prosperity. The Summit reiterated the importance of continuing long-term joint frameworks, notably the Global Gateway and the Joint Vision 2030, with an emphasis on strengthening and accelerating their implementation.
The 7th AU–EU Summit in Luanda reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Africa–Europe partnership at a time of evolving global challenges. High-level participation from both continents underscored the shared commitment to strengthening cooperation on peace, security, economic development, migration and mobility, and multilateral engagement. The participation of the high-level Ethiopian delegation underscored Ethiopia’s firm commitment to strengthening the AU–EU partnership and advancing shared priorities for peace, security, and sustainable development.