"Check against delivery" Dear Commissioner,  Distinguished guests, Dear friends from the African Union, It's a big honour to welcome you here to the Berlaymont, in these challenging and dangerous times it's even more important to work together, based on shared values, mutual respect and commitment to multilateralism.  Today the European Union is faced with big challenges and threats, including the threat of aggression from the world's largest remaining colonial empire, Russia.  Until I was in