The Dialogue revolved around the cooperation between the European Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC). Participants discussed security in Europe and in Southern Africa, sustainable development, economic and investment cooperation initiatives, such as the EU’s Global Gateway, and development support for the region supplied by the EU and its member states.

“In these challenging times, the European Union is a reliable partner for Africa; Africa is high on the EU’s agenda”, emphasised Minister Sikorski.

The event was marked by signing an investment agreement worth EUR 163.9m within the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, which aims to support digitalisation, transportation, cutting-edge technology, and the use of the region’s natural resources.

The Partnership Dialogue featured conversations on threats to global and regional security caused by the Russia–Ukraine war and the destabilisation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

When in Southern Africa, the chief of Polish diplomacy also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. They served as an opportunity to discuss Poland’s position on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Polish priorities with respect to collaborating with Africa.

On the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Poland’s top diplomat underlined that “the attacked state is the one that most desires a lasting peace. Despite the attacks, Ukrainian grain will be shipped to the countries of the global South.”

Taking Polish foreign policy goals into account, it is crucial to maintain dialogue with SADC’s member states in order to be able to present Poland’s and the EU’s perspective on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and threats to Central and Eastern Europe’s stability. Other relevant factors include growing trade potential of the region and Polish companies’ interest in economic and investment cooperation in this part of Africa.