Midrand, 29 October 2010 - The NEPAD Agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA). The signing ceremony took place on the 29th of October 2010 at the NEPAD Agency offices in Midrand, South Africa.  

The MoU was signed by Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency and Minister Miet Smet, the President of AWEPA.

The MoU aims to deepen and strengthen the partnerships that exist between the NEPAD Agency and AWEPA. The MoU calls on the two institutions to make efforts to identify joint events focusing on parliamentarians in order to mobilise support to NEPAD and its objectives. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Africa’s flagship agriculture and food security framework programme is a key focus area identified for special attention in the MoU.

The partnership is expected to develop and upscale exchanges that serve to harness and enhance parliamentary capacities for policy advocacy and analysis both in Europe and Africa.

Dr. Mayaki said that the NEPAD Agency’s partnership with AWEPA will systematically engage on initiatives that are aimed at strengthening African parliaments as key institutions - in collaboration with the Pan African Parliament and also through regional and national parliamentary bodies.

The president of AWEPA, Minister Miet Smet applauded the key role that NEPAD is playing in forging partnerships for Africa’s development and expressed the hope that AWEPA’s partnership with the NEPAD Agency will help strengthen the existing relationship between African and European parliaments and parliamentarians.