Staff Reporter
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the European Union (EU) will convene a Ministerial Partnership Dialogue on March 15, 2025, in Harare, to discuss issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, climate change, trade, and sustainable development.
The high-level meeting will be co-chaired by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Hon. Prof. Amon Murwira, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, alongside Hon. Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
According to an official statement, the dialogue will serve as a platform to strengthen cooperation between SADC and the EU while assessing the progress made in the implementation of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Indicative Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MIP SSA). It will also focus on addressing global, continental, and regional challenges affecting peace, security, and economic development.
“The Dialogue will reinforce relations between SADC and the EU and promote cooperation in peace and security, trade, and policies aimed at sustainable economic growth and reforms in the SADC region,” the statement read.
The two parties will also celebrate the achievements of their partnership, particularly in financing agreements that support regional programs in market access, institutional capacity building, natural resources management, transboundary water management, strategic corridors, agriculture, and digital transformation.
SADC will be represented by its Double Troika Member States, including Zimbabwe (current Chair), Angola (former Chair), and Madagascar (incoming Chair). Also in attendance will be Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, which lead the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs, along with the SADC Secretariat.
The EU delegation will comprise Minister Radosław Sikorski, senior officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS) and European Commission, and the EU Ambassadors to Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Ahead of the Ministerial Dialogue, senior officials from both sides will meet on March 14, 2025, to lay the groundwork for the discussions.
The SADC-EU Political Dialogue was first launched in 1994 in Berlin, Germany, and has since played a pivotal role in fostering economic and political ties between the two regions. The upcoming dialogue aligns with the 2013 resolution from Maputo, Mozambique, which mandates that Senior Officials’ Meetings occur annually and Ministerial Dialogues every two years, with hosting responsibilities alternating between the two regions.
Established in 1980, SADC is a 16-member regional organization committed to economic integration, good governance, and sustainable development. The bloc includes Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
