President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi (center), Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki (l), and his deputy Thomas Kwasi Quartey in a meeting with commissioners in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. February 11, 2019. Egypt Today/Mohamed al-Galy
CAIRO - 12 February 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met on Tuesday with members of the African Union Commission (AUC) in the presence of its chairperson Moussa Faki and his deputy Thomas Kwasi Quartey before leaving to Egypt.
The commission members are the chairpersons of 10 directorates in charge of handling the union’s policies in different realms.
President Sisi underlined the importance of enhancing peace and security in Africa along with reconstructing areas that are affected by conflicts.
CAIRO - 10 February 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received the chairmanship of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government from Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame for a one-year term. That was on Sunday in the opening session of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
For this year, the priorities are to the agreement of combating diseases in Africa, the launching of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), and the issuance of a document that allows the freedom of individuals and goods movement on the continent in parallel to the potential enactment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Three AU member states ratified the agreement on Monday so as the number rose to 52 out of 55 from 49.
The president said he looked forward to a rise in the size of intra-African trade; the accomplishment of infrastructure projects; the reinforcement of the peace and security structure; the achievement of post-conflict rehabilitation; the continuous reform of administrative work; the completion of ongoing projects; and, the fulfillment of member states’ targets in different sectors.
CAIRO - 10 February 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received the chairmanship of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government from Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame for a one-year term. That was on Sunday in the opening session of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The president hinted to a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that was also attended by AUC chairperson whereas he prioritized discussing African affairs rather than Egyptian interests. The president stated that he had told European officials that if they wanted to resolve the problem of illegal migration, they had to first address the reasons behind the phenomenon.
The president thanked all workers at the African Union saying he looked forward to work with them to meet the goals of Agenda 2063. He also affirmed his confidence that the commission’s directorates would perfectly fulfill their duties.
President Sisi also expressed aspiration to cooperate with the strategic partners of the AU asserting that Egypt is open to the valuable suggestions of the commissioners to coordinate the joint African work.
On their part, the commissioners affirmed their commitment to support and back the president to make this year a fruitful one in the AU’s history, and the commission. They vowed to work closely with the Egyptian embassy in Addis Ababa to achieve integration.
The president made an open invitation to all African leaders to attend the Aswan Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development.
CAIRO - 11 February 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi chaired on Monday the third closed meeting of the African Union Assembly of Head of State and Government held during the 32nd African Union Summit.
In January 2018, President Sisi was elected to chair the AU for one year-term in 2019, and received the chairmanship from his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame on Sunday in the opening session of the 32nd AU Summit having as theme refugees and displaced persons.
Additional reporting by Mohamed al-Galy
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