Addis Ababa, November 4, 2026 (FMC) – Ethiopia has called for stronger Africa-EU cooperation in trade, energy development, and manufacturing while advancing the African Union’s common priorities on artificial intelligence (AI) governance and digital development at the AU-EU Senior Officials’ Meeting, which opened today in Addis Ababa.
Senior officials from the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) Commission and member states convened at the African Union Headquarters for the meeting, which provides a platform to advance shared partnership priorities and strengthen coordination on matters of mutual interest.
The gathering builds on the outcomes of the 7th AU-EU Summit, held in Luanda in November 2025 under the theme of promoting peace and prosperity through effective multilateralism.
In line with the Luanda commitments, the meeting is focusing on multilateralism and prosperity, with senior officials expected to adopt an implementation plan outlining concrete deliverables across several areas of cooperation.
The plan covers peace and security, multilateralism, trade and economic development, climate action, food security, digital and AI development, and governance. It is intended to advance the Joint Vision for 2030 and related frameworks, including the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the EU’s Global Gateway.
During the deliberations, Ethiopia presented the AU’s common position on digital and AI governance and development in its capacity as the country of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the AU Champion for AI and Digital Health.
Presenting the statement, Ambassador Lemlem Fiseha outlined the Champion’s priorities, including integrating AI and digitalization into the policy agendas of AU member states, achieving universal digital literacy, increasing investment in cybersecurity infrastructure, and fostering an enabling environment for digital startups.
The priorities also include promoting inclusivity through African languages and strengthening capabilities to manage the potential adverse impacts of AI.
Representing Ethiopia, Ambassador Meles Alem, Director General for European and American Affairs, highlighted opportunities to expand AU-EU cooperation in trade, energy development, and manufacturing.
He called on the EU to address challenges affecting the implementation of its Everything But Arms (EBA) preferential trade initiative, including by lifting the Deforestation Regulation and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which are having serious impacts on African producers of cocoa, coffee, and other strategic commodities.
On energy cooperation, Ambassador Meles urged the EU to translate its partnership commitments into concrete investments in projects identified under the African Union Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
The meeting follows a series of engagements and negotiations aimed at translating the outcomes of the Luanda Summit into practical, results-oriented actions that deliver tangible benefits for the peoples of Africa and Europe.