The solemn opening session will take place on Wednesday, February 21st, at the National Assembly in Luanda, and will be chaired by Portuguese MEP Carlos Zorrinho and Mozambican deputy Ana Rita Sithole, co-presidents of the Joint Assembly.
President João Lourenço will make a statement during the formal session, according to a statement from the European Parliament.
These are the first meetings to take place since the adoption of the new Samoa Agreement, with four parliamentary assemblies included in the program, with the common theme "a citizen-led partnership".
The Samoa Agreement, signed on November 15, 2023, replaced the Cotonou Agreement. The new agreement paves the way for human development and progress in the fight against climate change, for the achievement of peace, security and good governance over the next 20 years, the period in which it should come into force.
The agreement has provisional application starting on January 1, 2024 and will enter into force after approval by the European Parliament and ratification by the parties, that is, all EU Member States and at least two thirds of the 79 members of the OEACP.
The OEACP integrates 1.5 billion people from three continents and 79 countries.
