Remarks following the meeting between President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, February 20, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, met with Dr. Nkosazana

Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

This meeting was an opportunity to highlight the strong and rich cooperation between the European Union and the African Union.

President Van Rompuy reaffirmed the EU's support to the newly appointed African Union

Commission and its priorities in particular the continued implementation of a robust

African Peace and Security Architecture, an increased emphasis on women's empowerment, the support to the New Partnership for Africa's Development's (NEPAD) priorities and the strengthening of the institutional capacities of the African Union (AU).

President Van Rompuy and Chairperson Dlamini-Zuma also discussed specific peace and security challenges such as the situations in Mali, Somalia and DRC/Great Lakes where the

AU and the EU work closely together.

Finally, both leaders shared views on the preparation of the fourth Africa-EU Summit which will be held in Brussels next year. They reiterated the strategic nature of this relationship and agreed on the need to review progress achieved with the aim of improving implementing mechanisms and further deepen cooperation.