Jonathan leaves Abuja for Brussels

    
President Goodluck Jonathan will on Tuesday travel to Brussels as the head of Nigeria’s delegation to the Fourth European Union-Africa Summit scheduled to open in the Belgian capital on Wednesday.

The summit has ‘Investing in People, Prosperity and Peace’ as its theme.

This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

According to the statement, participants including Jonathan, the President of the European Council, Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Commission, Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso, other Heads of State and Government of the European Union and Africa as well as leaders of the European Union and African Union Institutions will, among other matters, discuss ways of stimulating further growth and creating more jobs in Nigeria and other African countries.

The statement read, “Education and training, women and youth, legal and illegal migrant flows between both continents, investments in peace and ways to enhance EU support for African capacities to manage security on the continent are also on the agenda of the summit.

“The Brussels Summit will also provide an opportunity for participants to review EU-Africa relations based on the Joint Africa-EU Strategy which was adopted in Lisbon in 2007 and explore options for greater mutually-beneficial cooperation between Africa and Europe.

“President Jonathan whose entourage will include the Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen Aliyu Gusau (rtd.), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga will hold bilateral talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and some other participating heads of state and government before leaving Brussels for Abuja on Wednesday night.”