Addis Ababa, February 6, 2021 (FBC) -Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his delegation have attended the virtual summit of the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU).
The Assembly is being held under the theme: “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want.”
In his opening remarks, the outgoing Chairperson of AU and President of South African, Cyril Ramaphosa, called for greater cooperation to defeat COVD-19.
“If we are to overcome this pandemic, we must forge meaningful partnerships and pursue greater cooperation,” he said.
President Ramaphosa further underscored the need to implement the institutional reforms necessary for the AU to become a professional and self-sustaining organisation.
The President also expressed his country’s commitment to work with the incoming AU Chairperson, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi, President of Democratic Republic Congo (DRC).
“As we hand over the baton to the DRC, we are determined to continue working with President Tshisekedi to ensure that Africa becomes an integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of African renaissance,” he said.
The incoming AU Chairperson, Felix Tshisekedi for his part saluted the progress made in the ratification process of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), the start of this year.
“Certainly, the start of trade, in January 2021, within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area, represents an act of economic independence.”
He pledged to strengthen peace and security in the continent, continue operationalization of AfCFTA, consolidate initiatives of the AU in fight against COVID-19 and in the prevention against other diseases.