On 18 December 2018, at the invitation of the Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, and the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, the High-Level Forum Africa-Europe was held in Vienna to discuss “Taking cooperation to the digital age”. More than fifty official delegations from member states of the African Union and the European Union took part in the Forum along with almost a thousand innovators and start‑ups from Africa and Europe, as well as established companies.

The first series of talks between the EU and 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) led to broad convergence on the structure of the future agreement and the strategic priorities.

At the High-level forum Africa-Europe 2018, the Task Force Rural Africa presented its recommendations for sustainable development and job creation in rural Africa.

Ireland has launched a new partnership worth US$1.14mn with Trademark East Africa to facilitate increased trade and improve income opportunities within Tanzania’s agriculture sector. Trademark East Africa’s work in Tanzania centres on strengthening the environment for trade and business, with a focus on increased physical access to markets, building an enhanced regulatory environment for trade and promoting improved business competitiveness.

Juncker urged European firms on Tuesday to boost their investments in Africa in a "partnership among equals," reminding the joint European Union and Africa Union forum that Africa's population was forecast to double to 2.5 billion by 2050.