EU and African Union leaders meet in Angola to mark 25 years of partnership

The European Union and African Union leaders gather in Luanda on Monday (24 November) for a two-day summit focused on peace, security and shared prosperity, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of their partnership and Angola’s 50th year of independence.

The seventh EU–AU summit, being held on Monday and Tuesday (24 - 25 November) in the Angolan capital, is co-chaired by President João Lourenço and the President of the European Council, António Costa. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also attend.

President of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen kicked off the EU-African Union summit with investment pledges to various sectors of the African economy. 

"Since our last summit, indeed, in 2022 the global environment has become harsher, but the relationship between Africa and Europe has only grown closer. Europe is Africa's largest trading partner.  A third of Africa's total trade is with Europe, and we are Africa's largest investor, with €240 billion in 2023 alone," von der Leyen said.

She added that the EU is boosting its support in the continent.

"The African Development Bank says that a true single market here could increase continental income by $450 billion in total. That means massive opportunities for Africa and for the world," she added.

On trade, the EU remains Africa’s largest export market and leading trading partner, ahead of China, India and the U.S. African countries collectively form the EU’s fourth-largest trading partner.

Preferential agreements with 19 African states allow more than 90% of African exports to enter the EU’s 450-million-consumer market duty-free and the EU held €238.9 billion (about $260 billion) in foreign direct investment stocks in Africa in 2023.

The €150 billion (about $163 billion) Global Gateway Africa–Europe package supports green and digital transitions, job creation, and strengthened health, education and training systems across the continent.

Over the next two days, leaders will debate two broad themes: peace, security, governance and multilateralism; and prosperity, people, migration and mobility. A joint declaration is expected at the close of the meeting.

Cooperation on multilateralism includes joint work on the United Nations reform agenda and the Pact for the Future, coordination within the G20, and advocacy for reform of the international financial architecture and debt-relief mechanisms.

Climate mitigation and climate finance are also shared priorities.

Migration and mobility remain central to the partnership. Joint initiatives focus on legal pathways, border management and tackling irregular migration, smuggling and trafficking. Since 2022, EU-funded university mobility schemes have supported exchanges involving more than 30,000 African and 18,000 European students and staff.

Thirty-six partnerships are under way, offering 6,000 mobility opportunities among 103 African universities.

The summit builds on commitments made at the EU–AU ministerial meeting in Brussels in May 2025 and follows the previous leaders’ summit held in Brussels in February 2022.

A final communiqué is expected in Luanda on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, EU leaders will meet to discuss Ukraine on Monday at 0930 GMT, on the margin of an EU-African Union summit in Luanda, a spokesperson for European Council President Antonio Costa said.

Leaders not present at the summit have been invited via video-conference, the spokesperson said.

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