African Union Commissioner visits Barcelona to advance cooperation

Obreal welcomed the African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Gaspard Banyankimbona, to Barcelona for a visit aimed at advancing this year’s Interregional Dialogue activities and strengthening ties with Catalonia’s public, academic, and business ecosystems.

Following his participation in the 2025 Interregional Dialogue Annual Conference in Bogotá, Commissioner Banyankimbona traveled to Barcelona to further develop the activities that Obreal and the African Union Commission are planning to strengthen the Interregional Dialogue process throughout 2026. Beyond advancing the Dialogue, the visit also sought to build partnerships between the African Union and Catalonia’s public, private, and academic sectors.

In this context, Obreal facilitated meetings between the Commissioner and public authorities, economic development agencies, and university leaders in Catalonia. Notably, a meeting was held with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, where an initial agreement was reached to collaborate with the Pan-African University. This agreement is expected to be formalized in the coming weeks and will strengthen the relationship between both institutions.

Obreal also organized a meeting between the Commissioner and ACCIÓ, the Government of Catalonia’s agency for business competitiveness, to foster business collaboration between Africa and Catalonia and promote the internationalization and innovation of the private sector.

These productive days not only advanced the Interregional Dialogue process but also connected Catalan institutions and organizations with the African Union, fostering greater collaboration between the two regions.