President William Ruto has urged an equal partnership between Africa and Europe, calling for reforms, deeper integration, fair climate finance and dignified migration.
He is attending the 7th African Union-European Union (AU-EU) summit in Luanda, Angola
Ruto said the world is no longer unipolar or bipolar but multipolar and complex, and Africa must be at the centre of the future.
“We come to this summit not with empty hands, but with open ones offering partnership, innovation, and opportunity,” he explained
He called on both continents to move beyond charity-based relationships.
“Africa asks only for fairness. For a seat at the table, not a place on the menu. For a partnership grounded not in pity, but in parity,” Ruto noted
The president urged reforms to the United Nations Security Council and a rules-based international order that treats every nation with dignity. He said cooperation, not domination, should govern the shared future
Ruto highlighted Africa’s young population and digital innovation, noting, “Coding apps in Nairobi, building solar panels in Dakar, experimenting with digital agriculture in Kampala. They are leading and watching us today.”
He pushed for deeper regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and urged Europe to invest in African industries rather than extract raw materials.
The Head of State also called for urgent action on climate adaptation and migration, creating legal pathways for workers and protecting migrants’ rights
“A partnership that invests in Africa’s climate resilience is not a gift to Africa. It is an investment in both Africa’s and Europe’s own security and in humanity’s survival,” Ruto explained
He urged leaders to embrace digitalisation, strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, and move from promises to action.
“The question before us is not whether we will work together. The question is whether we will have the courage to do so as equals,” he noted
