Over the past 3 days, Members of Renew Europe, liberal think-tanks and foundations met with their African counterparts in Rabat for the “RENEWPAC” summit. The meeting gathered 300 participants from 47 countries. They discussed security, democracy, migration, energy, AI, supply chain stability, demography, health and gender equality. The key messages participants took home are: Europe should treat Africa like a partner—not a problem. And Africa doesn't need aid, it needs trade. MEP Valérie Hayer, president of Renew Europe, said: “The partnership between Europe and Africa will be pivotal for the decades to come. Our destinies are interlinked. We have shared interests and shared values. Renew is committed to make EU-Africa relations a pilar of its political project.” Sidi Touré, Côte d'Ivoire minister and African co-chair of the summit said: “Our relations must not be defined only by our past but by the future we want to build together. This kind of summit helps build trust, mutual respect and understanding. All too often Africa is talked about through the prism of its challenges. We must talk about Africa in terms of opportunities. ” MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen, the European co-chair of the summit, said: “If one listens to the European Left, Africa is a place we must simply help and apologise to. If one listens to the Right, Africa is a problem to be managed and a source of migration on our doorstep. We, European liberals, believe that Africa is an opportunity and a future to be built among equal partners.” He concluded: “The future cannot be built on outdated narratives. The era of paternalism, dependency and lamentation must be behind us.” What is RENEWPAC? RENEWPAC stands for Renew Pacific Africa and Caribbean. It is a network of politicians. This was the 5th edition of the RENEWPAC. The meeting was co-hosted in Rabat by the Moroccan Authenticity and Modernity Party and Renew Europe. Such a structured cooperation among liberals from both continent is unique. No other political force in Europe has such a platform for collaboration among sister parties across the two continents. | 
