Madbouli: Egypt seeks narrowing gap among Africans for talks with EU

ADDIS ABABA - 18 November 2018: Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli underlined the importance of narrowing the gap of views among African nations to be united while negotiating with the EU on the future of their cooperation after the Cotonou agreement expires in 2020.

Addressing an extraordinary session of the ACP on behalf of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in Addis Ababa, he highlighted the importance of building on the gains attained under the cooperation deal.

The EU and 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) group are negotiating on the future of their cooperation after 2020. The ambition is to transform today's partnership into a modern political framework geared to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.

The countries in the EU and the ACP represent more than half of all UN member countries and unite over 1.5 billion people. The current partnership, governed by the Cotonou agreement, is one of the longest-standing and most comprehensive framework for cooperation between the EU and developing countries. The current agreement expires in 2020.