European commission president José Manuel Barroso heads up our EU-Africa summit cover feature with the message that the two continents operate in a 'partnership of equals'. He writes that the "EU remains Africa's first partner for trade, investment, development and humanitarian assistance" and that "more than €28bn will be provided by the European commission to foster the economic and social development of African countries" over the next six years.
Elsewhere, Mxolisi Nkosi, South Africa's ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, and head of mission to the EU, hails the summit as a "tremendous success". "Both continents have acknowledged the interdependence of their relations and the need to use each other's strengths for mutual benefit," he explains.