ECOWAS President, H.E Dr Omar Alieu Touray Receives EU Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Delegation — A Renewed Commitment to Peace, Integration, and Partnership.
By Raymond Enoch.
In a high-profile diplomatic engagement marking a milestone in West Africa’s regional cooperation, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, received a visiting delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
The visit, coming as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrates its 50th Anniversary, underscores the deepening ties between West Africa and the European Union (EU) in their shared pursuit of regional stability, peace, and sustainable development.
The European delegation was led by Mr. Gautier Mignot, Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, and included David McAllister (Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Germany); Sebastião Bugalho (Portugal); Christophe Gomart (France); Marta Temido (Portugal); Sebastian Tynkkynen (Finland); and Zeljana Zovko (Croatia)
Discussions during the meeting touched on critical issues including regional peace and security, democratic governance, economic integration, and the future of EU–ECOWAS cooperation.
Speaking on behalf of the European delegation, Mr. McAllister praised ECOWAS for its five decades of leadership and achievements in regional integration.
“We are delighted to be here in ECOWAS. We want to use this opportunity to better understand the ongoing developments in the region and how ECOWAS functions,” McAllister said.
“Since its creation in 1975, ECOWAS has come a long way. We would like to understand the progress made, the challenges faced, and where ECOWAS is headed in the future, particularly under its Vision 2050 agenda.”
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Touray expressed appreciation for the EU’s long-standing partnership and reaffirmed ECOWAS’ commitment to deepening collaboration across political, security, and economic fronts.
“We want to express our appreciation to the EU for their longstanding partnership and support,” Dr. Touray said.
“This year, as we mark our 50th anniversary, we can say with pride that ECOWAS remains a model Regional Economic Community on the continent.”
He highlighted the bloc’s remarkable achievements in promoting free movement of persons, goods, and services, and in advancing the region’s collective vision for sustainable growth.
“Ours is a Community where citizens can move freely, settle anywhere, and establish businesses. We have a region where trade flows without barriers — a true example of market and social integration in Africa,” Dr. Touray noted.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their shared commitment to enhancing cooperation in areas of peacebuilding, democratic consolidation, climate resilience, and regional trade.
As ECOWAS steps into its next half-century guided by Vision 2050, the renewed engagement with the European Parliament signals a strengthened transcontinental alliance focused on creating a more stable, integrated, and prosperous West Africa.
