EU High Representative Federica Mogherini met on 17 October with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss the shared engagement and joint work of the EU and the Foundation in support of human development in Africa in particular, including by accelerating digital development. The EU and Mr. Gates also signed an agreement to create a joint fund to invest €100 million in European companies working to stop climate change.

EU High Representative Mogherini on 25 June presented EU foreign ministers with the second annual report on the implementation of the EU Global Strategy, outlining substantial progress in bolstering the EU's role as a global actor.