Egypt’s FM Chairs 36th Ordinary Session of AU Executive Council

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has shortly kicked off the 36th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The two-day meeting is attended by chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Faki Mahamat, in addition to all foreign ministers of the 55 African Union Member States based in Addis Ababa, as well as AU officials.

These meetings are set to be followed by an ordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, between 9 and 10 February.

Shoukry will also head the last session of the AU under the Egyptian presidency as Egypt will hand over the AU presidency to South Africa starting 10 February.

Cairo worked in 2019 with the AU to achieve economic integration, financial reform, and social development, in addition to building bridges of cultural and civilization communication among African peoples, the foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafez said.

Hafez added that the meeting is scheduled to discuss important issues, including 2019's theme of resolving forced displacement, refugees and returnees, as well as discussing the new 2020 theme of Silencing the guns, creating conducive conditions for Africa's development.

He noted that Shoukry is expected to hold bilateral talks with several African counterparts on the sidelines of the summit, in order to discuss bilateral cooperation and African issues of common concern.