AU Commission interested in intensifying cooperation with Kazakhstan

Addis Ababa, January 10, 2023 (FBC) – Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Ethiopia, Permanent Representative to the African Union, Barlybay Sadykov, held a meeting with the Director General of the African Union Commission, Fathallah Sijilmassi.

During the conversation, the parties discussed the state and prospects of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the African Union Commission, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service reports.

According to Kazinform’s report, the sides noted the growing geopolitical weight of united Africa as a global player, the most powerful industrialization on the continent, as well as the similarity of approaches of Kazakhstan and African countries to solving issues of peace, security, and development on the African and international agendas.

The Ambassador stressed Kazakhstan’s interest in organizing joint projects with the AU Commission and other subsidiary AU bodies located in African countries in the field of promoting sustainable development, confidence-building measures in Africa, projects in the field of technical and humanitarian assistance to development, etc.

In particular, Sadykov elaborated on the prospects of cooperation in the field of improving food security of African countries, joint promotion of interregional trade, as well as determining the shortest transport corridors for the formation of the most optimal logistics chains of mutual supplies of goods from the EAEU to Africa and back.

High Representative of the AU Commission Sijilmassi, for his part, supported these proposals and expressed interest in partnership with Kazakhstan in these areas. He also invited the Kazakh side to take part in the upcoming 36th annual Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa on February 18-19 this year.

In general, the parties agreed to intensify further work in all promising areas of cooperation.