Africa Day highlights historic Czech-African partnership
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the National Development Day for the second time. The public was invited to the gardens of the Czernin Palace on Friday, where information stands and key players provided information about the government's development policy projects and humanitarian aid. Along with this, Africa Day was held on the premises of the Foreign Ministry, where diplomats, investors, and NGOs discussed development policy.
Africa is a geopolitical player of constantly growing importance, as stated by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský at the start of Africa Day. Because the continent is seen as a promising partner for the future in this country, the department dedicated an entire day to it with high-profile panel discussions and round tables.
Many stressed that far-reaching changes are taking place, both in Africa and in Europe, at the moment. In an interview with members of Radio Prague International, Head of Department for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs Petr Gandalovič, elaborates on this partnership:
“These changes are undeniably historic—whether it’s the major growth in Africa’s population or the significant rise in the ambitions of these countries. Of course, there are also many risks, including climate change, migration, and security threats. So Africa represents a huge opportunity, both for its own people and also for us, its neighbors. But it also presents certain challenges that we must talk about together with Africa. And today’s event, Africa Day as part of the National Development Days, is an opportunity to have those discussions.”
National Development Day offers a good opportunity for this, adds Gandalovič. During the many panels over the course of the event, it was emphasized many times that the continent must be an equal and self-confident partner of Europe today. Gandalovič continues:
“The whole point of today’s program is about partnership. Yes, today we have a National Development Day dedicated to Africa, but we want to make sure that development is not a one-sided tool or just some kind of aid to Africa. It’s actually a mutual process, where both sides are partners. And we want to show in the different panel discussions that development can take place in the most advanced fields—such as satellite imaging, analysis, and landscape management planning. These are advanced areas that go far beyond the common perception people have about aid to Africa.”
Presenting this progress in international development aid to the public is also one of the aims of the public invitation issued by the Foreign Ministry for the second year running. On Friday in the gardens of the Czernin Palace, for example, the focus was on Czechia's six priority countries, two of which—Ethiopia and Zambia—are located in Africa.
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In 2025, Czechia’s state budget for financing international development cooperation and humanitarian aid was 942 million crowns (37.9 million euros). As a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Czechia is meant to invest 0.3% of its gross domestic product in this area annually. According to 2023 figures, it was 0.11 percent, and, since then, the number has decreased.
The debates also focused on the transfer of cutting-edge Czech technologies to Africa, education and support for the young African generation as future agents of change, scientific and technical cooperation, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and support for civil society, among other issues.
