(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-28 15:46

A noteworthy event was the second summit of leaders from the 53 African countries and the 27 EU countries in Lisbon on December 8-9 -- after a seven-year delay.

Barroso said the EU wanted to make Africa "a priority in our external relations," describing the summit as "extraordinary" and "a new departure in relations between the two continents."

The two sides issued a "landmark" joint strategy for a new partnership of equals to address bilateral issues as well as common global challenges.

The strategy envisaged various levels of cooperation -- domestic bilateral and global -- simultaneously encouraging multilateral channels and seeking to handle the multiple dimensions of the relationship in an integrated manner.

However, the implementation of the strategy remains in question as the two continents remain divided over human rights, trade and the Darfur conflict in Sudan.

The summit had long been held up by an impasse over the attendance of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, whom the EU accuses of human rights abuses.

The presence of Mugabe led to an exchange of rhetoric between the two continents and a boycott of the summit by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The two continents were at a juncture for revamping their trade relations.

The traditional preferential treatments granted by the EU to African, Caribbean and Pacific nations have been declared illegal by the World Trade Organization and must be replaced by the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by the end of this year.

However, the majority of African countries refuse to sign the agreement for fear that the EPAs, which are based on market opening, would lead to a flood of European products into African markets.

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