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High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, and Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič are on an official visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 8-9 October 2020. The mission aims to keep up the momentum of a strengthened EU-AU partnership and coincides with a new delivery of 7.5 tons of coronavirus testing kits donated by Germany as part of ‘Team Europe' efforts to help partners to deal with the pandemic.

Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy yesterday said:

“Africa is our natural partner and neighbour. To face common challenges, we need a strong Africa, and Africa needs a strong Europe. This visit is an opportunity for exchanges with the African Union and the Ethiopian Government. In these difficult times strained by the pandemic, the EU, together with its Member States, has demonstrated solidarity by mobilising an unprecedented Team Europe effort with Africa. Delivering these testing kits shows yet again that we are tackling the pandemic on all fronts,”

Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management yesterday said:

“This final delivery of life-saving testing equipment to the African Union wraps up the first phase of the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge, which has provided crucial support these past months to vulnerable countries amidst the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, the EU is providing close to €47 million for humanitarian projects in Ethiopia, including assistance to internally displaced people uprooted by violence or natural disasters. We stand by the Ethiopian people and will continue to help those in need,“

High level meetings

During their visit, the High Representative and the Commissioner will have a number of exchanges with their counterparts from the African Union and Ethiopian Government. The High Representative will discuss topics such as preparation of the EU-African Union Summit in 2021, peace and security cooperation, as well as bilateral issues within the EU-Ethiopia strategic partnership. In addition, the High Representative and the Commissioner will visit several EU-supported humanitarian projects: an IOM migrant transit centre in Addis Ababa, and various sites in Ethiopia, including a camp for internally displaced people.

EU Humanitarian Air Bridge

The High Representative and the Commissioner participated this morning in a handover ceremony delivering 7.5 tons of coronavirus testing kits to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In total, the EU has made available almost 1.4 million tests for the extraction and the detection of the virus to African countries.

Click here for the full press release