LUANDA, Angola – European and African leaders concluded a two-day EU-African Union Summit on Tuesday with a joint commitment to expand trade, secure access to critical minerals, create jobs on the African continent and step up cooperation on irregular migration.
Held in the Angolan capital Luanda to mark 25 years of formal EU-AU relations, the summit produced a wide-ranging 10-page declaration that addressed both continents’ strategic priorities at a time of intensifying global competition for resources.
“Africa is rich in natural resources that are essential for the dual energy and digital transition,” European Council President António Costa said in his closing remarks. “But its greatest wealth is its human capital and its youth.” He stressed the need to develop local value chains that generate employment rather than simple resource extraction.
The gathering comes as Africa has become a geopolitical battleground for influence. China, the United States and Russia are all actively courting the continent for its vast deposits of cobalt, lithium, rare earths and other minerals vital to the green transition.
Among the European leaders who travelled to Luanda were Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and host nation Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel. African heads of state included South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Kenya’s William Ruto and Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh.
Despite the high-level attendance, the summit was partly overshadowed by Europe’s urgent deliberations over Ukraine. Several leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, departed early, while Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas were prevented from attending due to flight issues.
Analysts described the event as symbolically important but light on breakthrough announcements. “The summit has been mostly perfunctory,” said Alex Vines of the European Council on Foreign Relations, noting that Europe’s focus on Ukraine “is a reminder that Africa-Europe partnership is not currently the highest priority.”
Still, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel called the meeting a “success,” highlighting new agreements on mobility and migration as evidence of renewed political will.
Key Outcomes of the 2025 EU-AU Summit
- Trade and Investment: Both sides pledged to strengthen economic ties, diversify global supply chains and explicitly referenced cooperation on “strategic and critical minerals.”
- Industrialisation and Jobs: Europe committed to support African efforts to process raw materials locally, industrialise and integrate into regional markets.
- Global Gateway Initiative: The EU promoted its flagship infrastructure programme as a counterweight to China’s Belt and Road, spotlighting the Lobito Corridor – a US-EU-backed railway linking mineral-rich regions of DRC and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic port.
- Migration Management: African countries agreed to enhanced cooperation on combating irregular migration and facilitating the return of failed asylum seekers – a long-standing European demand.
- Geopolitical Concerns: The joint declaration criticised “increasing uncertainty in trade policies and tariff volatility,” an implicit reference to recent US tariff actions under the incoming administration.
European Parliament Vice-President Younous Omarjee summarised the shift in tone: “We now have something very concrete to offer. That’s what we lacked in the past.”
The summit also saw a joint call for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and condemnation of atrocities committed in El-Fasher following its seizure by the Rapid Support Forces.
With global powers vying for influence and both continents facing pressure from US trade policies, leaders framed deeper EU-Africa cooperation as essential for remaining relevant on the world stage.
“Africa and Europe, if they want to be players globally, have to cooperate,” Portugal’s Paulo Rangel told reporters as the summit closed.