Summary: President Mbeki and EU Commissioner Louis Michel discuss strengthening the EU-South Africa partnership (Brussels: 1 March 2006)
Building on the 2005 EU-South Africa Joint Cooperation Council, South African President, Thabo Mbeki, and European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, discussed on Tuesday evening in Pretoria upgrading the EU-South Africa partnership to a strategic level.
After the meeting, Louis Michel, in charge of relations with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific region (ACP) in the European Commission, said: "I think the time has come to upgrade our political dialogue and move towards a strategic partnership. The European Union has recognized Africa as a geostrategic priority and is committed, more than ever, to its economic and social development. South Africa has taken on a pivotal role in Southern Africa and throughout the continent, which is
reflected in its international profile and its commitment to multilateralism. Therefore, we have a clear common interest in having a broader and deepened dialogue".
Commissioner Michel explained to President Mbeki that the European Commission intends to submit to the EU Council and the European Parliament a "Communication" on overall relations between South Africa and the EU. They agreed to explore areas where the current partnership could be strengthened, from political dialogue to trade liberalisation, development aid and a wide range of economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.
Commissioner Michel stressed that "both the EU and South Africa are actively committed to an agenda of peace and stability, good governance and poverty reduction throughout Africa".
Current relations between the EU and South Africa are regulated by the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA), signed in 1999 and which came into full operation in May 2004.
During his one week long visit to the region, Commissioner Michel also visited Lesotho and Botswana. In Gaborone, he chaired a regional seminar on the programming of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The 10th EDF amounts to €22.7 billion for the period 2008-2013.
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