Inaugural EU-South Africa Summit
- Nicolas Sarkozy and Thabo Mbeki
- © Elysée
The EU-South Africa Summit was held on 25 July in Bordeaux. It was the first summit to be organised between South Africa and the European Union.
The Republic of South Africa is the main regional power in Africa and a member of the group of emerging countries. It is one of the drivers of growth in the continent and a success story that refutes Afro-pessimism. The reference framework for EU-South African relations is the strategic partnership and action plan adopted jointly in May 2007.
The importance of a privileged relationship with South Africa justified the organisation of an event at the highest political level. This was the first summit organised between the EU (in the Trio Presidency format) and South Africa, represented by President Thabo Mbeki, and the first summit organised under the French Presidency.
This summit provided an opportunity to review the implementation of the strategic partnership between the EU and South Africa, particularly in the areas of peace and security, science and technology, transport and education.
The three presidents (European Commission, France, South Africa) discussed:
global issues: climate change, migration and food security;
economic issues: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA), the WTO and the role of the private sector in development in Africa;
security issues: Zimbabwe; Sudan/Chad; the Middle East.
Read the declaration on climate change.
- © Elysée