Speech by Commissioner Síkela at the EU Ambassadors Conference - panel on the EU as a Global Actor and a Partner of Choice

European Commission -Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Síkela at the EU Ambassadors Conference -panel on the EU as a Global Actor and a Partner of Choice Brussels, 6 February 2025 Thank you for inviting me, and especially for coming here to our Brussels headquarters to discuss our cooperation. I believe that effective, proactive collaboration between our headquarters and you—our representatives in partner countries—will become more important than ever in the years ahead. Why? Because the world is undergoing multiple shifts, and we should take note of the following key points: First, the risk of Europe losing its economic influence. We are a reliable and principled partner to Africa and we work hard to strengthen our cooperation. At the same time, we can see that China gradually closing the gap to become the Africa's leading trading partner. Second, the erosion of our political influence, as reflected in the growing number of countries that side with China or Russia on sensitive matters at the multilateral level. Third, the reality that Europe's global perception does not match its investments. Unfortunately, our analyses show that even though Team Europe is the world's largest donor of official development aid, we are not recognized as the most influential or supportive, especially in the last two years. In some countries, Europe's image is not positive at all. And fourth, the rise of a more transactional world, evident not only in the actions...