Europe–Africa Connectivity Outlook 2021: Post-Covid-19 Challenges and Strategic Opportunities
The European Union stands at a critical junction in the international scramble to establish Europe–Africa commercial corridors. Morocco, Algeria and Egypt are the geopolitical gatekeepers in the competition for three emerging corridors: Morocco’s West Africa–Western Europe corridor, an Algeria-anchored Central Maghreb corridor and an Egypt-based East Africa-Eastern/Central Europe corridor. Undeterred by the Covid-19 pandemic, China, Russia, Turkey and the Arab Gulf states have expanded their economic investments in these countries, reshaping the configuration of the trans-Mediterranean corridors. North Africa’s leading foreign partners will be the countries that invest in local manufacturing on a strategically significant scale to create manufacturing value chains. The EU still retains a window of opportunity to influence the direction of Europe–Africa connectivity to promote European priorities and ensure European interests.
Paper prepared in the context of the New-Med Research Network, May 2021.
iaip2120.pdf [3]-
Details
Rome, IAI, May 2021, 31 p. -
In:
IAI Papers [2] -
Issue
21|20 -
ISBN/ISSN/DOI:
978-88-9368-194-0
Introduction
1. The West Africa–Western Europe Corridor: The model of Morocco
1.1 The future Western Corridor: Between Europe and the Western Sahara
2. The Central Maghreb corridor: Post-Covid challenges
2.1 China’s opportunity in the Central Maghreb corridor
2.2 Algeria’s challenge to establish manufacturing value chains
3. The advance of Egypt’s East Africa–Eastern/Central Europe corridor
3.1 Egypt’s automotive manufacturing sector: An emerging EV value chain
3.2 The Egypt–Greece partnership – An opportunity for the EU
Conclusion
References