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The President of the Republic Mr. Nicos Anastasiades has concluded his participation in the 6th European Union - African Union Summit, held in Brussels on 17 and 18 February 2022, which was attended by the Heads of State or Government of the European Union and the African Union, the heads of the institutions, as well as representatives of international organisations.
The Summit was preceded by an extraordinary European Council on 17 February, which focused on the Ukrainian issue, with the ultimate aim of de-escalating and finding solutions to prevent further tensions through dialogue.
During his own intervention, President Anastasiades expressed his particular satisfaction with the progress made in recent days in this direction, calling for the continuation of diplomatic efforts, notably on the Normandy format consultations.
With regard to the work of the European Union-African Union Summit, after discussing the common interests of the two parties, the prospects for further deepening their partnership based on shared democratic values and principles were confirmed. As a result, the two sides reached an agreement for the coming years on an investment package crucial for the development of the necessary structures on the African continent in the fields of health, economy, environment and climate change.
Furthermore, ways were discussed on the basis of which it will be possible to create conditions of security, stability, normality and prosperity on the African continent, with particular emphasis on the fight against terrorism. In this context, the President of the Republic participated in a round table discussion on "Peace, Security and Governance", during which he pointed out that Africa and Europe are pillars of peace and security, noting at the same time that the common goal is the emergence of a prosperous, peaceful and resilient Africa. To this end, he pointed to the need to promote new policies to upgrade cooperation between Europe and Africa, respecting the rule of law, human rights and the principles of solidarity and international cooperation.
On the second day of the Summit, President Anastasiades participated in a round table discussion on migration, during which he advocated the prospect of further EU support for Africa in order to address the unprecedented increased migratory flows, through the creation of employment opportunities for Africa's youth and the strengthening and protection of Africa's external borders. In this context, he raised the major issue of the exploitation of African migrants by traffickers and their transfer to EU countries, including the Republic of Cyprus, who are systematically encouraged and facilitated by the Turkish authorities. The objective remains, as he pointed out, the smooth and safe return of migrants, victims of trafficking, on the basis of new agreements to be concluded on this issue.
Finally, it is reported that, on the sidelines of the meeting, the President of the Republic had a brief meeting with the German Chancellor Mr. Olaf Scholz, with whom they discussed the MoU proposed by President Anastasiades. The two leaders agreed to prepare a visit of the President of the Republic to Berlin for consultations on a number of issues of mutual interest.
President Anastasiades also met with his French counterpart Mr. Emmanuel Macron, with whom they exchanged views on the promotion of bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields, while the President of the Republic outlined the MoU he has proposed, which aims to restore the climate for the resumption of negotiations on the Cyprus problem under the auspices of the UN, as well as to end Turkey's provocations on land and at sea. The MoU will be presented by President Anastasiades at a forthcoming European Council meeting.
In addition, the President of the Republic had bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Egypt, Ghana and the Foreign Minister of Morocco (who represented the King of Morocco at the Summit) with whom, among others, he discussed bilateral issues and briefed them on developments in relation to the Cyprus problem.
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