Ambassador Angel, Losada Fernández, it is a distinct honor for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies to host you for this discussion on the Sahel. Welcome to Washington. Thank you. Thank you very much for this opportunity. Thank you, the African Center for Strategic Studies to invite me to the honor for me also to be here today and to support you in this action, which I think is very important for the knowledge of the reality in Africa, to the big public. I think it is a very important role that you are playing also. Perfect. Thank you very much. I think a good place to start would be on your mission as the EU Special Representative to the Sahel. Why is the Sahel region so important to the European Union? I always say that from different point of view, but the first one is the security in the Sahel is also the security in Europe. We can see the influence, the strong influence that there is between Europe and the Sahel. We have not only a matter of security, but there are question of development. There even will, even more, the development of Europe depends also in the future of the development of the Sahel, due to the incredible demographic growth that there is in this area and due to the impact that they can have on Europe a long, long term. That's why the post of EU Special Representative for the Sahel has been created within the EU because the EU is convinced of the importance of this region for the stability of Africa, for the stability of Europe and for in general world stability also. Interesting. Now, what priorities are you pursuing in the Sahel region? The Sahel region, I mean the European, the Europe, the EU as a proof, what they call the strategy. The strategy of Europe actually was the first strategy of Propholus Sahel in 2011. Today, as I said, we have more than 17 strategies, but Europe in 2011, a prover strategy, based on one concept. The nexus between security and development. We don't have security without development, we don't have development without security. This is the center, I would say, of the strategy of the EU, which is mainly focused on five countries, specifically Mauritania, Mali, Burkina, Niger and Chad. And this is the purpose that they are pursuing. On top of that, of course, the EU as a pro for the called a regional action plan to put in place this strategy, which under which precise four priorities, mainly, this priority is the first one is use. And I said that about this demographic explosion that there is in the area, the youth and the employment to help the youth people second is fight against radicalization. The third one is question of migration also, and the fourth one is more security oriented as is building, controlling fights against illicit traffic. These are the four main priority of the regional action plan of the EU, which has been adopted with the contribution of member states also, of course. When I talk, I always talk the EU and its member states, of course. Perfect. Now, what about the African involvement? You said that there are 17 strategies to what extent are African partners being involved in pursuing your priorities? I always say also that one of the main concern, one of the main problem that the reason is on top of the question of coordination, as I said with the 17 strategy, is the concept of appropriation. You're perfectly right. The first interested one are the African and the African countries, and these are the one which must say which are their priorities. And we are supporting them, working with them together in this, in these priorities. The African have decided at the highest level, the level of heads of state to create, for instance, an organization which is called the G5, this organization which has also the same nexus security and development. The EU is supporting them very strongly, and also its member states. Then the appropriation is one of the main elements which is driving actually our action towards the sale. Right. Now, in addition to what you're doing with the youth, with development, with security and stability, what other actions can the international community? Play in order to support the EU and African countries in what you're trying to do in the sale? The action that the international community can place, I mean to support the action that the EU is putting in place. And you'll say, how can they do it? I mean, there are these two big sectors, the sector of security and the sector of development. In the sector of the security, the EU, for instance, has organized in Brussels a conference for the financing of the joint force which has been decided to, which the heads of state of this side, have decided to create. The EU won't organize it and convene the whole international community and a lot of member states, a lot of state of the international community came among them here, the United States of America. And the EU has in this conference, which rose the quantity of more than 400 million euros for the financing of the force. And the same thing on the other sector, in the development one, there's been an important conference also of the G5, which has been organized in December last year, which convene also a lot of the international community to rise an important quantity of some in order that the project and development were executed in the south. Then it's not a question only of the EU. The EU is trying to be like that, but it's a problem of the whole international community and the EU tried to reassemble them and to work together with them for the benefits of the countries of this part of the world, which is unfortunately a very affected area today with a lot of problems that are facing. Sounds like a very interesting case of partnership. But what lessons are you learning at present that could be of benefit to other, perhaps, similar situations in other parts of the continent and the world? The lesson that we are learning is that, as I said before, we come back to the same concept that we cannot do anything by ourselves. We have to do it together. And this partnership is not only a simple partnership, it's a strategic partnership, because we are talking about something a long term. The situation in this area is so delicate with the rise of terrorism, with the problem of governance, with the problem of security, as we have seen in the many attacks, the problem of economic problems that this country are facing. Then the main lessons that we learn from what we are doing is that alone we cannot do anything. And we are trying to do it together with all of them. That will be the first thing. And the second thing also, as I said before, there is not only the problem of appropriation, there is a problem of coordination. We need a more coordinated action. This is one among all the member states and all the state of international community, which are participating in this interesting fascinating process, which is taking place in this area. We need a better communication with the population. To be closer to the population, always defending the principles also that the EU and the international community, defends a question of human rights, of course, the question of gender is also a very important question in the area. In the peace process, for instance, where I participate as a member of the mediation on behalf of the EU, as a mediator on behalf of the EU in the peace process, that's exactly what we are learning. Appropriation, coordination, work to them in the defense of the great principles, which is in the DNA, more or less of the EU and most of the members' faiths in the world, of course. This is very interesting, Ambassador Fernandez. Thank you so much for coming to the Africa Central for Strategic Studies to share your perspectives. We are very excited. We wish you all the best of luck in your mission. And hopefully we would like to host you again further down the road in order to continue unpacking some of the lessons that you are learning in the field. For the red pleasure for me and thank you very much for this very kind invitation. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ambassador.