Europe and Africa are redesigning their relationship 'based on mutual trust'

The European Union and the African Union are renewing their partnership to set a typical imaginative and prescient for 2030.

Following the summit in Brussels, the European Council President, Charles Michel and the President of Senegal & Chairperson of the African Union spoke with Euronews's personal Gregoire Lory and Africa Information's Nathalie Wakam on The International Dialog.

Nathalie Wakam:

Charles Michel, the primary goal of this summit, was to reshuffle the playing cards a bit. Are you totally happy with what has been achieved over these two days in Brussels?

Charles Michel:

I'm very happy as a result of I've the conviction that in these few hours in Brussels, throughout these two days in Brussels, we now have actually redesigned and renewed the partnership between Africa and Europe, we now have modified the paradigm. And the preparation of the summit, already displayed this need for a typical political will. How can we determine collectively the targets and challenges? Furthermore, how can we determine collectively the very best options with extra pragmatism, whereas being extra environment friendly, extra sensible? So these ideas of mutual respect, mutual curiosity, these ideas of standard evaluations make sure that we will actually ship on our commitments.

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We've actually redesigned and renewed the partnership between Africa and Europe, we now have modified the paradigm.

Charles Michel

President of the European Council

Grégoire Lory :

Macky Sall, do you assume that it's potential to construct this renewed partnership?

Macky Sall:

Completely. As Charles stated, this summit has allowed us to realize this outcome which would be the place to begin of this renewed and rethought partnership. It is going to be primarily based on mutual respect, solidarity and at last, listening to one another as a result of typically we weren't listened to. We had been simply given recipes, options. I notice this basic paradigm shift within the relationship, constructed on friendship, consideration, mutual listening and the seek for widespread options, the co-construction of options.

As well as, after we got here to Brussels, after all, there have been delicate topics on which we had not but completed negotiating: the query of the power transition, the local weather transition, the questions of property rights in relation to vaccines, these are troublesome topics, which we now have kind of succeeded in fixing. Due to this fact, concerning the work methodology, it was a significant innovation and it gave us better effectivity and at last led to fairly convincing outcomes. Now there stays the implementation, on which we now have additionally dedicated ourselves.

Nathalie Wakam:

Macky Sall, The administration of the Covid Pandemic has strained relations between the African Union and the European Union. There was omicron and the selections made in its wake. Now there's the urgent situation of lifting the vaccine patents. Clearly, you haven't obtained satisfaction. Is that this a failure?

Macky Sall:

No in no way. It's not in any respect a failure. I imply, when there are two opposing positions, we attempt to attain a compromise, an answer that would fulfill each events. We aren't in a Manichean relationship the place it's sure or no. No. Already, to realize the specified outcome, that's, to have at the least 60% of the vaccines produced in Africa; Europe has made efforts.

First-of-all, the provision of vaccines on covax, no matter one could say. Already 150 million doses which were given. Moreover, Europe is dedicated to offering 400 million doses by the summer season of 2022. That is step one. Nonetheless, we're saying that receiving doses isn't sufficient. We wish to produce the doses in Africa. Inside this context, there was an especially vital change the place European international locations and Workforce Europe made a dedication with us, with the WHO, to switch initially to 6 African international locations, six hubs: the brand new know-how of messenger RNA.

And inside this framework you will need to talk about the topic of Patents. The patents, some are saying, needs to be suspended. That's one aspect. Others are saying we can not query mental property. So, what ought to we do? We've a pandemic. Persons are dying throughout this pandemic. We're going to and we now have given, a mandate to the 2 commissions: the European Union and the African Union, and the WTO will accompany us in order that we will discover a compromise. And, the compromise is to start with the switch of know-how.

As soon as we now have the know-how, it's simpler to debate with the one who has the patent, maybe to enhance the circumstances, to cut back the prices in order that those that have the know-how can reproduce on the continent. So this debate is postponed till April-Might and I feel that we can not say that it's a failure.

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We've given a mandate to the 2 commissions: the European Union and the African Union, and the WTO will accompany us in order that we will discover a compromise.

Macky Sall

President of Senegal & Chairperson of the African Union

Nathalie Wakam:

So let's discuss a bit bit concerning the safety situation. France has introduced a coordinated withdrawal of Barkhane and Takuba. You reacted, saying you had been joyful that this dedication was renewed. Concretely, what is going to we see on this area the approaching months?

Macky Sall:

To start with, you will need to notice that we had an especially vital change on the Élysée Palace the day earlier than yesterday, Charles Michel was there, with the European and African leaders on the problem of safety and the battle towards terrorism. Throughout this debate, which can also be a frank debate, , issues are stated clearly, bluntly, however with respect; it seems that Europe doesn't wish to go away Africa alone to face terrorism. This can be a good factor.

We wish all elements of the world to assume like this as a result of if everybody reasoned like this, Africans wouldn't face terrorism alone. When it got here to terrorism in Afghanistan or Syria, world coalitions mobilized, 1000's of billions of dollars had been mobilized for twenty years in Afghanistan. Why is it that in the case of Africa, we're advised to cope with it on our personal? Nonetheless, there have been a number of international locations; France is a kind of international locations, which responded to Mali’s name in 2013. Africans responded earlier than the UN even arrange a blue helmet mission. Our completely different international locations despatched their troopers without spending a dime. I keep in mind my troopers drove from Dakar, 2,300 kilometres to assist Mali as a result of it was considered one of our neighbours.We wish the sort of solidarity to be world and it's good that Europe has renewed this solidarity with Africa.

Gregoire lory:

Do the failures of the French Barkhane mission and the European Takuba mission name into query this format of intervention and will name into query different European interventions?

Charles Michel:

I disagree together with your evaluation, as a result of it's essential to recollect the place to begin. The place to begin was the specter of the overall collapse of Mali, with implications for your complete area and past. And it's as a result of sovereign states thought-about that it was helpful to have the partnership with France and the European international locations, that the choice was taken to deploy in help to attempt to keep away from what would have been a way more critical disaster than the present scenario. Secondly, we're making an allowance for the evolution of the menace, and the scenario in Mali, which, as talked about earlier, is inflicting difficulties. We hope we can return as quickly as potential, to a extra normalized type of cooperation with this nation, which is a crucial nation within the coronary heart of the Sahel. However we're additionally adapting by the re-coordination that has been defined.

We're additionally engaged in a full dialogue with African international locations, taking into consideration, for instance, the Accra initiative and the significance of additionally making an allowance for the international locations of the Gulf of Guinea, who had representatives on the Elysée assembly. Due to this fact, we had European and African international locations on the desk. It was a chance for a direct change, a joint evaluation of the scenario, and primarily based on this joint evaluation, we see how we will deploy in an operational method as soon as once more. As Europeans, we attempt to deploy probably the most logical and helpful means, following the analyses made by our African associates.