The 8th edition of the EurAfrican Forum 2025 was officially opened in Cascais, organised by the Portuguese Diaspora Council. The opening remarks highlighted the importance of the event in fostering collaboration between the two continents and expressed gratitude to supporters and partners, including Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE), as well as the institutional sponsors, whose support is crucial for the forum’s ongoing success.

Context and Main Objective
Since its inception, the EurAfrican Forum has had a clear objective: to build trust and inspire dialogue between Africa and Europe. In 2025, at a time when the world is grappling with political, environmental, economic and social crises, the forum has become a vital platform for addressing and overcoming these global challenges.

Central Theme and Ambition
This year’s theme, “Transforming Tomorrow: Bridging Global Partnerships to Meet The 2063 Agenda”, reflected the ambition to bring Africa and Europe together not only to discuss strategies and bold ideas, but also to focus on execution and concrete action plans. The goal was to move beyond rhetoric and achieve tangible commitments and actions — shifting from potential to real impact.

Participation and Representation
Over the course of the two-day event, the forum brought together around 500 participants per day from 55 countries — with representation comprising 55% from Europe, 43% from Africa, and 2% from the Americas. The geographical and institutional diversity highlighted the growing interest in strengthening Euro-African relations.

Key Topics on the Agenda
The forum’s agenda was broad and ambitious, with sessions dedicated to areas regarded as essential for sustainable development and effective cooperation between the two continents:
-Trade and Investment: Considered the backbone of economic development, with a focus on access to capital, markets, and innovative financing — especially supporting small businesses and young entrepreneurs.
– Policies for Progress: Emphasised the importance of viewing Africa as a true partner and platform for collaboration — with themes such as education, health, science, and gender equality taking centre stage.
– Financing: Various mechanisms and models for development and innovation financing were explored.
– Innovation and Entrepreneurship: New approaches and initiatives gained prominence, showcasing the energy and dynamism of younger generations.
– Specific Sectors: Discussions covered energy, global markets, infrastructure, technology, agriculture, knowledge, and long-standing large-scale projects that have, many of them, remained pending for decades.

– Geopolitics: The impact of international dynamics on Africa–Europe relations was recognised, reinforcing the need for aligned strategic positioning.
It was widely acknowledged that no part of this agenda can be realised without strong alliances, firm commitments, a clear strategy, and — above all — consistent execution.

Future Commitments and Next Steps
As a practical follow-up to the work carried out, the organisers announced the preparation of a white paper compiling the forum’s main conclusions and recommendations. This document will be shared with Portuguese, African, and European institutions with the aim of reinforcing the impact of the ideas discussed and turning them into concrete policies and projects.

The Role of the Portuguese Diaspora Council
The Portuguese Diaspora Council reaffirmed its central role as a facilitator of Euro-African cooperation. The organisation’s global network has expanded from 22 founding members to 336 members across 44 countries, including 33 diaspora advisors based in Africa. The Council actively promotes competence centres, youth diaspora projects, and the exchange of knowledge and innovation.

Acknowledgements and Closing Remarks
The closing session included special thanks to the President of the Portuguese Republic (Honorary President of the Council), the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Honorary Vice-President), the Mayor of Cascais, Nova SBE, the more than 20 media outlets present, and, above all, the audience — whose active and meaningful participation was essential to the event’s success.

Mario Parrot