Senior officials from the African Union, the European Union Commission and their member states met on Wednesday at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the AU-EU Senior Officials' Meeting, ENA English reports. The session is meant to carry forward the results of the 7th AU-EU Summit, which took place in Luanda in November 2025 under a theme of advancing peace and prosperity through effective multilateralism.
According to ENA English, the meeting gives both sides a platform to discuss shared partnership priorities and to tighten coordination on issues of joint concern. Delegates are working along the two thematic lines set at Luanda: multilateralism and prosperity.
Why it matters
The Addis Ababa talks are where the broad declarations of the Luanda Summit are meant to become a working plan. ENA English reports that senior officials will adopt an implementation plan with concrete deliverables across peace and security, stronger multilateralism, trade and economic development, climate action, food security, and digital and artificial intelligence development and governance.
That plan, in turn, is designed to deliver the Joint Vision for 2030 and its related frameworks, including Agenda 2063 and the Global Gateway. In practical terms, the meeting is the step between a summit communiqué and programmes that reach African and European citizens. ENA English says the session follows a series of earlier engagements and negotiations aimed at converting the Luanda outcomes into results-oriented actions with tangible benefits for both continents.
Ethiopia presents the AU position on digital and AI
Ethiopia spoke for the African side on digital and AI governance and development, a role it holds through Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's position as AU Champion for AI and digital health. Ambassador Lemlem Fiseha presented the Champion's statement, setting out priorities that include placing AI and digitalisation among the policy priorities of AU member states, achieving universal digital literacy, increasing investment in cyber infrastructure, and creating an environment in which digital start-ups can grow.
The statement also called for inclusivity for African languages and for building the capacity to manage the negative effects of AI, according to ENA English. The digital and AI agenda is one of the newer strands of the AU-EU relationship and now sits alongside long-running areas such as peace and security and trade.
Trade, energy and manufacturing on the table
Ambassador Meles Alem, Director General for European and American Affairs, represented Ethiopia in outlining where the AU-EU partnership could be widened in trade, energy development and manufacturing. ENA English reports that he urged the EU to resolve difficulties in the operation of its Everything but Arms preferential trade initiative.
Specifically, he called for the lifting of the Deforestation Free Regulation and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which he said are seriously affecting African producers of cocoa, coffee and related strategic commodities. In energy, Ambassador Meles invited the EU to commit concrete investment to projects listed under AU-PIDA, the African Union's Programme for Infrastructure Development.
The meeting continues at AU headquarters, with the adoption of the implementation plan as the main outcome to watch.
