Constitutive meetings-OACPS-EU regional Parliamentary Assemblies, Angola 19 Feb 2024

Following the signing of the Samoa agreement, three new regional parliamentary assemblies (PA) complement the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly - an Africa-EU PA, a Caribbean-EU PA and a Pacific-EU PA.

The constitutive meetings of the three OACPS-EU regional Parliamentary Assemblies were held on Monday 19 February 2024 in the National Assembly, in Luanda, Angola.

Members of the European Parliament met their counterparts to launch the new joint institutions and to celebrate the entering into force of the Samoa Agreement, signed on 15 November 2023, replacing the Cotonou agreement adopted in 2000 and the former Lomé Convention of 1975.

Keynote debates and exchange of views under the following topics:

Pacific-EU PA

The Keynote speech by Mr Filimon Manoni, Pacific Ocean Commissioner at the Pacific Island Forum on the theme "A New Dawn in OACPS-EU Relations: Perspectives of the Pacific-EU Regional Parliamentary Assembly - Protecting the Oceans while ensuring equity in the Blue Economy" was followed by an informative debate.

Caribbean-EU PA

The constitutive meeting of the Caribbean-EU PA focused on a keynote debate on climate finance with the remote participation of Dr Pepukaye Bardouille, Director of Bridgetown Initiative Unit, Barbados.

Africa-EU PA

The constitutive meeting of the Africa-EU PA focused on a debate about access to affordable energy in Africa, steered by presentations made by Mr Luis Filipe de Silva, a Board member of the Angolan public electricity company and Mr Verner Ayukegba, Vice-President of the African Energy Chamber.