In line with the African Union’s (AU) efforts to promote African integration and the African continent ‘as one’ on the international stage, defend Africa’s common interests and strengthen Africa's position in the global economy and in the international community, the third Africa-Türkiye Partnership Summit under the theme "Strengthening the Partnership for Common Prosperity and Development" kicked off in Istanbul Conference Centre on 18 December 2021, with participation of Heads of State and Government from 16 African countries, along with more than 102 ministers and representatives of the African Union attended the summit in Istanbul to adopt the Africa-Türkiye Joint Action Plan 2022-2026 and to ensure the inclusion of African Union’s Strategic Vision, Aspirations and Priority Areas as enshrined in  Agenda 2063 and its First Ten Years Implementation Plan .

Addressing the summit H.E. Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chairperson of the AU said “Türkiye, a country showing solidarity with Africa in all aspects, has paved the way for a historic summit”. He further noted that Africa needs concrete projects mainly in trade, infrastructure, agricultural development, governance, and health.

In his opening remarks the AU Commission Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed deep grateful thanks to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN, for his constant commitment to the Africa-Türkiye Partnership, since its inception, in August 2008. “Under his strong impetus, the Turkish Government and private sector have provided a large number of African States with substantial, diverse and useful support in different areas of cooperation,” said Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission noted that the solid partnership between Africa and Türkiye has a strategic dimension. On the African side, this strategic dimension is nourished by the sources of an unwavering desire to pursue the main objectives set out in the Constitutive Act establishing the African Union.  “Agenda 2063, which stipulates its objectives in terms of overall programmatic Aspirations, completes our vision of long term development. The normative set, thus constructed, lays the doctrinal bases of our international partnerships, which are currently undergoing a complete overhaul, within the framework of our Institutional Reforms”.

H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat said that “The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic was an opportunity to develop important actions of solidarity with Africa. We appreciated the support of Türkiye for our advocacy for Post-COVID-19 economic recovery, including the urgent need to cancel the debt of Africa, the reallocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and investment in infrastructure, industrialisation and digitisation”. He further added “The imperative need for going beyond the monopolies of Intellectual Property, prelude to the manufacture of vaccines arises acutely, in order to act drastically against the shocking imbalance in the vaccination rates, which are, today, about 7% in Africa as against 70% in the rest of the world”.

The Chairperson called for a constructive approach encourages concrete programming of model, innovative, transformative projects of decisive significance and proven mutual usefulness to redouble efforts in order to bring this partnership to the optimum level of efficiency, productivity and performance. “The ambition of industrialisation links up with another, that of greater vitality of the African Continental Free Trade Area, by improving the productive capacities of our States, both in terms of quantity and diversity. It is in the attainment of this double ambition that we ardently wish to involve Türkiye and all our partners in the world,” said Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat.

The Summit committed to strengthen and deepen the cooperation in the interest of the States and peoples of both parties and to take the partnership to a new level, especially by multiplying feasible and relevant tripartite projects involving Türkiye, African Countries and the African Union, as well as bilateral engagements with programs that are better tailored to serve each country’s individual needs. The Summit underlined the need to strengthening the collaboration on current issues in the global arena as it relates to health, peace, security, governance and justice, human-focused development and strong and sustainable growth. 

The Summit adopted its final Declaration with five strategic cooperation areas covered in the Joint Action Plan for the period 2022 - 2026. These areas include:

1. Peace, Security and Governance;
2. Trade, Investment and Industry;
3. Education, STI skills, Youth and Women Development;
4. Infrastructure Development and Agriculture and;
5. Promoting Resilient Health Systems.

In relation to Peace, Security and Justice, the Summit emphasized the need in strengthening of peace and security, democracy, respect for human rights, good governance, justice and the rule of law are common aspirations for both Africa and Türkiye. The Summit acknowledged the ongoing cooperation between Africa and Türkiye in many areas pertaining to peace and security, particularly Türkiye’s contribution to the African Union’s peace support operations budget in these aforementioned areas and to the G5 Sahel Joint Force together with the remarkable record in providing training for the military and police, as well as diplomats from African countries. The Summit agreed to continue collaboration in areas mutually agreed upon relevant to peace and security, including conflict prevention, resolution and mediation, through the exchange of expertise and information and through strengthening the culture of peace. The Summit further agreed to strengthen cooperation to fight and eliminate all forms and manifestations of terrorism, violent extremism

In issues related to health, the Summit welcomed the support provided by Türkiye to the COVID-19 emergency response in Africa in the procurement of medical and other critical equipment and vaccines and also acknowledge the contribution and partnership between Türkiye and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to support the implementation of the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 Outbreak. The Summit called upon all countries to support the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations to temporarily waive some provisions of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in order to enable increase manufacturing, the equitable distribution of COVID-19 related health products and the transfer of technologies.

The Summit underscored the need to create and foster economic opportunities between the two parties to ensure sufficient growth in the post-pandemic world and stressed the importance of regional cooperation to help global economic recovery and facilitate environmental sustainability. In this regard, the Summit called for ensuring access to affordable and clean energy for all and to cooperate on the opportunities related to energy transition in terms of investment, trade, new technologies and innovation including in renewable energy.

The Summit acknowledged the positive outcomes of the Türkiye-Africa sectoral meetings held at ministerial level in various fields such as agriculture, education, and health and of the Türkiye-Africa Economic and Business Forums organized in Istanbul in 2016, 2018 and online in 2020 and in October 2021, with a broad participation from African countries. The Summit noted with satisfaction the cooperation between Türkiye and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the considerable progress and encouraged the further development of such cooperation to support mutually beneficial and sustainable growth of our economies.

In areas related to Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Summit recognized the sustainable development of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, water, environment, blue economy and circular economy, including coping with the adverse effects of climate change, is necessary for poverty reduction and food security and an essential pillar of sustainable growth. The Summit committed to continue cooperating in various projects related to Goals 5 and 7 of Agenda 2063 including Adaptation of African Agriculture.  Both sides agreed to cooperate in fields and areas included in the Agenda 2063.

Finally, regarding the Transport, Communications, and Information Technologies, the Summit acknowledged the importance of developing transport infrastructure and services to enable the growth of every sector of economies. The Summit called for  common actions by African governments and Turkish public and private sectors aimed at increasing logistical capabilities in bilateral trade; sharing their expertise on the administration of transport, notably road transport; avoiding practices that may hinder the development of international maritime transport by complying with the principles of fair and free competition;  The Summit also committed  to develop cooperation aimed at increasing capabilities in maritime transport and trade, through capacity building and encouraged cooperation between Africa and Türkiye in the field of civil aviation in relation to advancing the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

For more information, kindly contact:

1. Mr. Jacques Mukwende  | Ag.Director Partnership Management and Resource Mobilisation Directorate | E-mail: mukwendej@africa-union.org
2. Teddy Kabunda  | Senior Policy Officer - Partnerships Management & Coordination E-mail: kabundat@africa-union.org
    

For media inquiries, please contact:

1. Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou | Head of Information Division | Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission | Mobile: +251911361185 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org
2. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication  Directorate | E-mail: GamalK@africa-union.org

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org

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