Dozens of African heads of state and government attended the official opening of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 19, Anadolu Agency reported.
Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who is the new chairperson of the African Union Commission, began the summit by asking participants to show solidarity with Turkey and Syria and observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the earthquakes. .
Assoumani in his speech stressed the need for coordinated efforts by African countries to achieve peace and prosperity through the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Investing in Africa’s prosperity requires financing, and developing countries are constantly in the dark, routinely denied debt relief by the global financial system and financing on favorable terms by charging exorbitant interest rates”.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, for his part, hailed the Pretoria peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray Popular Liberation Front (TPLF), which ended the conflict.
Kenyan leader William Ruto stressed the importance of early disease prevention and an aggressive approach to the production of vaccines and medical devices on the African continent.
The summit will also address issues such as security, food crises and other political and socio-economic issues affecting the continent.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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