Brussels (Belgium) 20 May 2025 (SPS) – The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is participating with a high-level official delegation in the preparatory meetings for the 3rd African Union-European Union (AU-EU) Ministerial Summit, held in the Belgian capital, Brussels, in preparation for the foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, 21 May.
The Sahrawi delegation includes Mr. Omar Mansour, Ambassador in charge of relations with European institutions, Ambassador Lamin Baali, the Permanent Representative of the Sahrawi Republic to the AU, and Ambassador Malainin Muftah, Polisario Front’s Representative in Belgium.
On Monday, 19 May, the Sahrawi delegation took part in a joint meeting between ambassadors of AU member states and African ambassadors accredited in Belgium, held at the AU Mission in Brussels. The meeting aimed at exchanging information and coordinating positions ahead of today’s sessions.
Today morning, a series of parallel meetings were held from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., one for AU ambassadors and the second for EU ambassadors, followed by a joint session bringing together both sides. This session was attended by the Sahrawi Permanent Representative to the AU and the Sahrawi Representative in charge of European institutions.
The meetings focused on reviewing the preparatory documents to be presented to the ministers tomorrow, primarily the joint AU-EU communiqué, and on aligning the positions of the member states regarding key summit topics.
The upcoming ministerial meeting, which will also be attended by the Sahrawi Foreign Minister, Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, aims to assess the progress made since the 6th AU-EU Summit held in February 2022. It also comes in a significant context, marking the 25th anniversary of the AU-EU partnership — a unique and enduring cooperation framework.
The ministerial meeting will be co-chaired by Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Tete António, Minister of External Relations of Angola and Chairperson of the AU Executive Council. Ministers will address a range of key and strategic topics, including: peace, security and governance, multilateral relations, prosperity, migration, and people mobility.
Africa remains a geopolitical priority for the European Union amid growing global shifts. The EU is working to strengthen its position as Africa’s leading partner in trade and investment, with foreign direct investments totaling around €309 billion in 2022.
The participation of the Sahrawi Republic in these meetings reaffirms its active role as a founding member of the African Union and contributes to shaping the continent’s positions on global partnerships, particularly in light of the increasing geopolitical competition over Africa. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)
Related blogs
