Foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) on Wednesday vowed to strengthen cooperation for peace, security, and economic partnership between the two continents, stressing the urgency of moving from commitments to implementation.

Their pledge resulted from the third ministerial EU-AU meeting in Brussels, which the European Council said took stock of progress made since the last EU-AU Summit in February 2022.

A statement read out by the deputy chairperson of the AU commission said both parties “reaffirmed commitments to strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation as well as preserving the integrity of international law as the foundation for a just and fair global order.” “It is important to sustain the collective efforts to increase inclusiveness and effectiveness of the multilateral institutions with the UN at its core; in the pursuit of peace and security, we have underscored the necessity of our continued cooperation,” the statement said.

The AU said both blocs also “committed to strengthening economic ties, promoting integrated and resilient markets, and encouraging investments that drive inclusive growth and create opportunities across both continents.”

Wednesday’s meeting, co-chaired by the EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and Tete António, Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, comes amid a rapidly changing geopolitical context and volatility.

In light of this, the EU’s foreign policy chief reemphasised that the EU and its member states remain Africa’s first and closest cooperation partners.

The last time foreign ministers from both continents met, Russia had not launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, the war in Sudan had not begun, and France, a leading member of the 27-nation EU bloc, had not lost its influence in the Sahel, where its military departed from last year as Russia forged closer ties.