The President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi paid a three-day visit to Brussels to strengthen links between Mozambique and the European Union and hold discussions with the EU leadership on partnerships and prosperity, climate change, stability, peace and security.

The visit of the African country’s head of state comes a week to the European Union – African Union summit scheduled for mid-February in Brussels. President Nyusi met with the High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell and both addressed cooperation in the fields of peace and security. HRVP Borrell highlighted EU´s integrated approach including capacity building of special forces through the EUTM Mozambique as a contribution to the efforts against terrprism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. At the meeting, Mozambique´s President request EU support for the military missions fighting terrorism in Cabo Delgado, namely the Rwandan forced and SADC´s regional mission (SAMIM).

President Nyusi also held a meeting with the European Council President Charles Michel for an interaction that covered the efforts against insecurity, but also topics such as the mitigation of the impact of climate change, Covid-19 response, and the EU – AU Summit, a gathering to which President Michel had issued a formal invitation in 2021.

To discuss development cooperation in specific areas, other three bilateral meetings took place, with Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen on partnerships for development and an EU – AU renewed partnership; with Commissioner Janez Lenarčič who reiterated EU´s commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance in particular to the most vulnerable populations; and with Commissioner Frans Timmermans, focusing on helping build Mozambique´s resilience to climate and implementation of specific programmes and projects such as on water management.

Mozambique´s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Manuel Gonçalves told the press in brussels that "EU cooperation with Mozambique is at highest level".

The EU leadership has assured President Nyusi that the EU continues to stand by Mozambique in its efforts to overcome challenges such as COVID-19 pandemic and insecurity, bearing in mind the social and economic consequences, and to deepen links in other priority areas.

To note that under the framework of the new OACP – EU post-Cotonou agreement, the EU has approved 428 million Euros to cover cooperation for the first four years of the new EU – Mozambique cooperation cycle (2021 - 2027), which priority areas are Growing Green, Growing Youth, and Governance, Peace and a Just Society.