The Austrian presidency of the EU council is planning an EU-Africa Summit. EURACTIV Germany reports. The fact that population growth in Africa would become a major challenge for the EU has long been known. By the middle of this century, this continent’s population is forecast to grow to two billion people. By the end of the 21st Century, it could even be four billion people. For the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, these figures and also the entire current development on the continent are reason to “work more closely together with the African states”. He added that it was not only a question of traditional aid on the ground but also “the long-term economic cooperation in industries of the future”. This is also a response to the rise of Chinese investment, which has already secured it influence on the African continent. Kurz announced the organisation of an EU-African Summit in Vienna in December together with the Rwandan President Paul Kagame, focusing on development cooperation generally but also topics such as innovation and digitisation. “The challenges can only be met with a partnership,” Kurz said. He added that the EU therefore had to develop an improved, contemporary, fair and sustainable strategy for Africa and, in particular, to support its economic development in order to create jobs and prospects. The pressure of refugees from Africa plays an important role in this. The EU Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn recently warned yet again of a new escalation of the refugee crisis.
Source: euractiv.com