Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has arrived in Portugal for a three day summit on EU-Africa relations.
The first ever EU-Africa summit was seven years ago. Robert Mugabe has since prevented a successor.
His attendance has overshadowed the meeting and has led to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown boycotting the summit.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has shrugged off Fine Gael criticism and decided that being present is better than shouting from a distance, as he put it.
Trade, development and human rights issues are on the agenda and dramatic changes in Africa have focused European minds.
China is now a major player, providing huge loans without the same human rights and good governance strings normally attached by the EU.
Brazil and India are also getting involved, so Europe wants joint action plan to move the relationship away from simply that of donor and recipient.
Europe is still the biggest donor to Africa, accounting for 67% of all development aid.
However, a world trade organisation ruling means that African countries will probably have to open up their markets to European goods, a highly complex and controversial issue.
