Luanda - The secretary-general of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Georges Chikoti, said Sunday, in Luanda, that the new OACPS-EU partnership, within the scope of the Samoa Agreement, provides a reinforced and modernized for cooperation between the parties.
“In turbulent times of geopolitical multi-polarity, instability and weakened multilateralism, the OACPS needs the EU, just as the EU needs the OACPS, to establish stronger ties and reinforce their long and historic partnership”, he expressed.
Georges Chikoti, who was speaking at the 64th Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, revealed that the OACPS-EU partnership has now moved from Cotonou to Samoa, whose provisions are now the basis of ties and OACPS-EU cooperation.
The Samoa Agreement, officially signed on November 15, 2023 by the European Union (EU) and its Member States and the OACPS members, covers topics such as sustainable development and growth, human rights, peace and security, democracy, governance and climate change.
Georges Chikoti announced, before the Parliamentary Assembly, that 66 OACPS States have signed the Samoa Agreement and 13 countries have not yet signed it, with its provisional application beginning on January 1, 2024.
The OACPS's Secretary-General urged the members of this Assembly who will be involved in the ratification process to carry out this legislative process with diligence and speed.
He called on Parliamentary Assembly members to become champions of the OACPS-EU partnership in their respective national parliaments.
He recalled that the Samoa Agreement is multilateral and results from a consensus reached between the positions of the parties in the negotiation process, for whom this consensus was obtained in a balanced way, through a process of “give and receive”.
He informed members that Article 3 of the Samoa Agreement states that the Partnership Dialogue will be the basis for its effective implementation.
According to Georges Chikoti, the Partnership Dialogue will be conducted at national and regional level, thus facilitating the application of the Agreement on a case-by-case basis.
He assured that the OACPS Secretariat is ready to provide technical support, information and clarifications to any Member State currently considering signing the Samoa Agreement.
Diversification of Partnerships
Georges Chikoti made it known that, in accordance with the mandate set out in the 2019 revised Georgetown Agreement, he is involved in a process of actively seeking to diversify partnerships to include countries from different regions, such as the Gulf, the Middle East, China, India, the rest of Asia and the UK and at the same time maintain and strengthen steel with the EU.
In this regard, he announced that he will soon go to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following an invitation from high-ranking authorities, to explore possible areas of cooperation and collaboration with that country.
He expressed, on his behalf, the OACPS secretariat and all delegates, gratitude to President João Lourenço and the Angolan Government and Parliament, for hosting this 64th session of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and its associated meetings of the Regional and Joint Parliamentary Assemblies. DC/ADR/CF/DOJ
