The events that took place in Tunisia in early 2011, proved to be very important for the whole international environment. The northern part of Africa is signifi cant for the Western countries for natural resources which are available there for these reasons, stable and politically predictable, situation in the countries situated there is a strategically important element of a global security system. Tunisia since mid December 2010 has witnessed riots of young people throughout the country who, in the desperate acts of the self burning claimed democracy in their country, reduction of unemployment (13%), improving the living conditions and prospects for a better tomorrow for young people. „Jasmine Revolution”, the name given by the French journal Le Monde to the riots, led to the overthrowing of President Ben Ali, after 23 years of rule and his escape to Saudi Arabia. 

The European Union towards the arm conflicts and socio-political changes in the MENA region in the 20th and 21st centuries

The countries of the Middle East and North Africa are one of the main areas of interest of the European Union, and the main determinants of mutual relations are primarily the economy and security policy. The aim of the article is to show how the position of the European Union is shaped in relation to the main challenges and threats in this region, to which the Israeli-Arabic conflict, the Palestinian issue and the so-called Arab Spring, as well as the escalation of the conflict in Syria and the problem of international terrorism.

The current events related to the hybrid and now full-scale war in Ukraine have led the Ukrainian political leadership to realize the need for developing multivector international cooperation, which was previously concentrated mainly on the countries of the Global North. The African continent, due to its active economic and demographic development, has become a region of intense competition among many world powers, including former colonial metropoles, the EU, the U.S., as well as China, Russia, and Turkey. The Russian-Ukrainian war has deepened the food crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa and intensified Russia’s use of private military companies in certain states. Ukraine is fully capable of offering African countries cooperation in various fields—from trade to joint production of machinery, leveraging expertise in IT, cybersecurity, and the military sector. The recognition of the need to change its approach to the region has led to the development of several strategic documents, and attention to their implementation will yield both economic and political dividends for Ukraine and African states alike.