- Published: 22.05.2025.
Third EU-AU Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels
It was emphasized during the meeting that the challenges facing Europe and Africa today are very similar, with both continents confronted by devastating wars. In this context, participants highlighted the shared responsibility of both sides to their citizens - especially in times of global insecurity and misinformation - to continue working toward preserving peace and stability while building a strong partnership between Europe and Africa, based on mutual trust and respect for each other’s priorities.
Key topics discussed during the meeting included peace and security, economic development, governance, migration, and the importance of upholding multilateralism. In his address, Minister Grlić Radman shared Croatia’s experience of the defensive war and post-war reconstruction, stating that Croatia is willing to share these experiences with African partners. As part of the ministerial meeting, he also served as co-chair of the panel on multilateralism.
The ministerial meeting also provided an opportunity to deepen Croatia’s bilateral relations with several African countries. Grlić Radman signed a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations with his Ethiopian counterpart and held bilateral meetings with ministers from Angola, Togo, Kenya, and Ghana, as well as with the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. All counterparts expressed strong interest in enhancing political and economic cooperation with Croatia and were invited to attend the upcoming Dubrovnik Forum to be held in July.
An EU-AU summit is scheduled to take place by the end of 2025, and a joint communiqué was issued following the ministerial meeting.