Prime Minister Fiala after the summit in Angola: If we are serious about reducing illegal migration, we need to work more closely with Africa
On 24 and 25 November 2025, the outgoing Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, attended the seventh EU-African Union Summit in Luanda, Angola. Among other topics, the leaders discussed strengthening cooperation in the areas of security and prosperity. The meeting, which commemorated 25 years of partnership between the EU and the African Union, took place during Angola's rotating presidency of the African Union. On the sidelines of the conference, the Prime Minister held talks with the leaders of Mauritania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire also attending an informal summit of EU leaders on Ukraine in Luanda.
One important topic of the summit was tackling the problem of illegal migration. The Czech Republic has long advocated for the conclusion of comprehensive partnerships with countries situated along migration routes. The EU should contribute to strengthening its border protection capacities and demand cooperation in implementing the return of people illegally residing in the EU. The countries agreed on a joint statement reflecting not only the issue of migration, but also the intention to further deepen mutual security cooperation — especially in the area of conflict prevention, the fight against terrorism, human and drug smuggling and other cross-border crime. "Cooperation with African countries is the key to tackling the problem of illegal migration. Africa is important for our security and prosperity — the two areas are mutually interlinked and need to be developed. We have embarked on a number of projects seeking to improve the quality of life in Africa, which at once constitute an opportunity for European and Czech investors. To mention but one example out of many, the EU has launched the Global Gateway Initiative, which can finance major infrastructure projects here in Africa." said the Prime Minister. At the end of the summit, the countries adopted a joint declaration.
In his speech at the Summit, the Prime Minister emphasised that Africa is a key partner for Europe and the Czech Republic is ready to actively participate in the development of a fair, practical and mutually beneficial partnership between our continents. "The EU has been demonstrating its commitment to Africa's security for decades — and the Czech Republic is part of this effort. The Czech Republic also actively participates in a number of EU and UN initiatives aimed at peace, security and stability in Africa. We have been participating in EU security and stabilisation missions for many years. We also provide significant humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflicts — in the Sahel, Sudan and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo," the Prime Minister said in his speech.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Prime Minister held talks with African leaders, including President Taye Atske Selassie of Ethiopia, Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé of Côte d'Ivoire, President William Ruto of Kenya and President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania. "The Czech Republic has a training mission in Mauritania, where our army helps train local special forces. We want to build on that. The meeting showed that there is potential for defence industry companies, which are interested in doing business in the country," added Prime Minister Fiala.
In Luanda, the Prime Minister also attended an informal summit of EU leaders on Ukraine, which took place shortly after US and Ukrainian negotiators in Geneva prepared an updated peace framework for a possible end to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. "We have been briefed on the progress of the negotiations in Geneva and have confirmed that we have a united position on the next steps. We take the clear view that no peace agreement can be concluded if it goes against the will of Ukraine. We must always remember who the aggressor is and who caused this terrible war. We must also focus on security guarantees and reach a solution that will bring long-term security and peace for the whole of Europe.", the Prime Minister said after the meeting.
