Church Convenes EU–Africa Diplomatic Dialogue at the European Parliament 

The European Union & International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened a diplomatic dinner at the European Parliament in Brussels on June 3, 2026 for an evening of dialogue on EU-Africa relations. The gathering brought together ambassadors, and representatives of the European Union institutions, humanitarian and civil society organizations with ties to the African continent. 

The dinner was co-hosted with Hon. Ruggero Razza, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, including the EU-Morocco, EU-Tunisia and EU-Algeria Joint Parliamentary Committees (DMAG). The event, entitled "Shaping a Shared Future: EU-Africa Relations," offered a setting for open conversation on the partnership between Europe and Africa at a time of renewed reflection on that relationship. 

Francesco Di Lillo, Director of the EU & International Affairs Office, welcomed guests and offered remarks that situated the evening within the Church's broader engagement on the African continent. He noted that the Church today includes just over one million members across Africa — communities he described as marked by "resilience, leadership, and a strong commitment to service." 

From Aid to Partnership 

Mr. Razza opened his remarks emphasizing the value of creating a space where political, diplomatic, and religious leaders can engage in open dialogue during a time of international tension and global change. 

He stressed that Europe and Africa are not just neighbors, but regions whose futures are deeply interconnected. He argued that shared challenges—security, stability, economic growth, energy, and migration—require common solutions and a new kind of partnership. 

Mr. Razza criticized the longstanding aid-based approach to relations between Europe and Africa, saying it has not delivered the expected results. Instead, he called for a relationship based on shared responsibility, investment, and mutual growth, supported by the EU’s external financing instruments and the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034. 

He welcomed the new Pact for the Mediterranean and the Global Europe program, highlighting their potential to move beyond paternalism and build strong, development-generating partnerships in areas such as employment, stability, energy, infrastructure, innovation, and education. 

As Chair of DMAG, Mr. Razza underlined the need to strengthen political and parliamentary dialogue. He presented the Italian “Mattei Plan”, promoted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as a model of cooperation among equals where development and shared growth replace assistance and dependability. 

He described Africa as a central protagonist of our time, with demographic growth, dynamic economies, and a young generation offering extraordinary potential. Europe, he argued, has the technological, industrial and financial capacity to be a credible partner, and the Mediterranean should be seen not as a border but as a platform for connection and opportunity. 

Ambassadors Call for a Shared, Win–Win Europe–Africa Partnership 

During the lively debate, African ambassadors warmly welcomed Mr. Razza’s call for a renewed partnership while underlining the need for jointly owned strategies, local value 

creation, and balanced migration policies. Several speakers emphasized that European “strategies for Africa” should be developed with African input so they become shared roadmaps rather than unilateral plans, and urged Europe to move from a focus on securing raw materials to co-investing in processing and manufacturing in Africa, creating jobs on both sides. As one envoy put it, the objective should be “not just to dig and export, but to build together,” turning critical raw materials into a basis for shared industrial development. 

Concerns were voiced that migration discussions remain too focused on enforcement; participants called for legal pathways and addressing root economic causes, in a spirit that, as another diplomat stressed, must be “win–win, so that we all own the results and protect them together.” 

In his closing remarks, Mr. Razza called for a “vertical geopolitical strategy” linking Europe and Africa through the Mediterranean, rather than only pursuing traditional East–West (horizontal) approaches. He insisted that cooperation must address the broader economic and social issues behind migration, including, quoting Pope Benedict XVI, the right to remain, build a family, and thrive in one’s own country, and reiterated that real partnership requires clear, equal dialogue, not just discussions focused narrowly on illegal migration. 

The Church's Presence and Work in Africa 

"Our engagement with Africa is not limited to membership," Di Lillo told attendees. "The Church has supported thousands of humanitarian and development projects across African countries — always in close partnership with governments, international institutions, and local communities. For us, impact is not measured by what is given, but by what is built together." 

Between 2022 and 2025, the Church approved more than 3,300 humanitarian and community projects across African countries, spanning emergency response, education, health, food security, and clean water initiatives. 

As Di Lillo noted to guests: "As a Church, our engagement in settings like this is rooted in our conviction of faith that every person is a child of God, and that when we come together with sincerity, humility, and a genuine desire to understand one another, we create not only better policies, but a more peaceful and hopeful future for all." 

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