Africa is ready to work with partners who add value on African soil, building industries and consequently creating opportunities for young people in the continent. We must move from extractive partnerships to productive ones, from exporting raw materials to exporting innovation and finished products. To maximise our cooperation with partners like the European Union, Africa is deepening trade integration, with regional economic communities at the base and the African Continental Free Trade Area, a single market of 1.4 billion people, as the ultimate driver. We call on the EU to join Africa in advancing digital transformation to open new opportunities, strengthen cooperation on climate adaptation, and support fair and managed labour mobility. Addressed the 7th African Union-European Union Summit, Luanda, Angola. President João Lourenço of Angola, who is also Chair of the African Union, and EU President Ursula von der Leyen were present. Others were AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, EU Council President António Costa, and many EU and AU heads of State and Government.(William Samoei Ruto, PhD)