Speech by Dr. Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary at the 7th EU-AU Summit in Luanda

Thank you, Mr President, for giving me the floor.

The stability and sustainable development of Africa is not only vital for its people but also for Europe. Working together for a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Africa—where both sides benefit—will help everyone in the long run. The European Union is Africa’s main economic and trading partner, a major investor, and its largest donor. It is in our shared interest to keep up the strong relationship we have built in recent years. That is why I welcome this 7th AU-EU Summit, which also marks 25 years of partnership between our two unions.

Hungary supports all efforts to strengthen ties between the EU and African partners. We believe it is important to coordinate our security, humanitarian, and development tools. Preventing conflict is more effective than managing crises after they happen. To achieve this, we should deepen EU-AU cooperation in early warning systems, climate adaptation strategies, and food security.

When conflicts cannot be prevented, Europe must help resolve them, support peace efforts , and improve security in Africa. While African solutions are best for African problems, the EU is ready to remain  involved as long as needed.

Since 2021, the EU has provided over €1 billion in military and other support to African partners through the European Peace Facility.

We must address the root causes of instability, illegal migration, and terrorism. Supporting young people and creating jobs are also crucial. Hungary believes in helping people thrive in their own countries, and we run several programmes in Africa to support this.

Hungary welcomes the EU support for Africa’s economic and social development. The €300 billion Global Gateway strategy will offer major guarantees to companies investing in Africa, thus encouraging fair and sustainable growth. We are confident that following the Team Europe approach, Hungary and Hungarian companies will play a key role in African development projects.

We believe the EU should further strengthen free trade between African countries and with the EU, always considering the unique needs of each partner.

The EU is committed to improving government efficiency, clean energy, job creation, education, and health care in Africa, and provides priority support in these areas.

Human development is central to the EU-AU partnership. Hungary especially values empowering young people through education, skills training, and entrepreneurship. We support this both at the EU level and bilaterally. Since 2015, our Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme has enabled over 6,500 African students to study in Hungary. Currently, about 1,700 students from 33 African countries can start their studies in Hungary each year under existing agreements.

Finally, I would like to thank the Angolan AU Presidency for organising the 7th EU-AU Summit.