Madagascar and EU to discuss partnership

The EU will today convene a political dialogue with Madagascar’s government to chart broad lines of cooperation and capacity-building initiatives for the island-nation.

Although the agenda for the dialogue remains undisclosed, the EU will likely address the immediate COVID-19 crisis that is sweeping the nation. Despite its purported locally produced vaccine—the untested ‘COVID-Organics’ was imported by several African countries—Madagascar has over 10,000 confirmed cases of the virus, the second highest tally in sub-Saharan Africa.

Longer-term concerns include joint fishing ventures and Madagascar’s human rights record. Ahead of the EU-African Union (AU) summit in October, parties are expected to finesse future EU-Africa fishing partnerships, which are intended to stimulate environmentally and financially sustainable investments predicated on the AU’s Blue Economy Strategy. Following a February resolution, the European Parliament may also discuss Madagascar’s exploitation of child labour and will likely work closely with Rajoelina’s administration to eradicate this practice via new legislation.

Such bilateral dialogues are expected to produce a comprehensive EU policy at the October summit. This could form the bedrock for Africa’s green transition and digital transformation, governed by stable legislation and monitoring mechanisms.