EU leaders aim to further strengthen their relations with South Africa at the eighth EU-South Africa summit on Thursday, calling the country a "strategic partner for the EU". The situation in Ukraine is also expected to take centre stage.
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, will join the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to represent the EU at the summit in Cape Town. President Cyril Ramaphosa will represent South Africa.
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Ramaphosa as mediator
According to the organisers, the summit will focus on the current geopolitical challenges to global security and stability.
EU leaders explained in a statement that geopolitical concerns including "Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing situation in the Middle East" will be on the agenda.
Ramaphosa is seen as a strong voice in the global south. He hopes to contribute to bringing peace to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, after three years of war.
In this context, Ramaphosa has also invited Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky on a state visit to South Africa on 10 April.
Zelensky's visit, described by South Africa's presidency spokesman Vincent Magwenya as "a continuation of ongoing engagements," is expected to focus on "an inclusive peace process" between Russia and Ukraine.
Regional issues
European leaders also hope Thursday's summit with South Africa can provide an opportunity to advance on some of the most pressing global and regional issues, including the future of Ukraine, as part of South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
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The leaders will discuss the need for strengthened multilateralism.
"I am looking forward to the summit and our discussions on improving economic relations, energy transition, security and defence, sustainable value chains and multilateral cooperation," Costa said in a statement.
"We are dedicated to strengthening the long-standing and geostrategic partnership between the EU and South Africa, especially given the current geopolitical challenges."
Strong partnership
The summit aims to enhance bilateral cooperation, including economy, trade and investment relations, security and defence.
South Africa is the EU’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with €49 billion worth of trade in goods in 2023.
The EU, for its part, is South Africa’s top source of foreign direct investment, totalling 53.7 percent in 2022.
In June 2016, the EU and South Africa, along with Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini, also signed the Southern African economic partnership agreement (SADC EPA), which governs trade in goods between the two regions.
Through the SADC EPA, the EU has either completely or partially eliminated customs duties on 98.7 percent of imports from South Africa.
The agreement helps promote both bilateral and regional trade, opening up new opportunities to achieve the goals of the EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership.
