Ababa ahead of African Union meetings
28 January 2009
Addis Ababa: South African Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini
Zuma, will today, Wednesday, 28 January 2009, unveil a plaque at the opening of
the South African Chancery in Addis Ababa ahead of the African Union (AU)
Executive Council and the 12th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly
scheduled for 2 to 3 February 2009.
Minister Dlamini Zuma is supported by South African Ambassador to Ethiopia,
Ambassador Pepani, Director-General (DG) of the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA), Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, Special Representative on Disarmament and New
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Ambassador Abdul Minty as well as
the Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nation (UN)
in New York, Ambassador Baso Sangqu.
Minister Dlamini Zuma and delegation will participate in these meetings
within the context of South Africa's priority to consolidate the African
agenda, through amongst others the strengthening of institutions of the African
Union.
The 12th Ordinary Assembly meeting, whose theme will be infrastructure
development in Africa, with emphasis on transport and energy investments, will
be preceded by the following meetings:
* 14th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council
* 20th Summit of the NEPAD Heads of State/Government Implementation Committee
(HSGIC)
* 10th Summit of the African Peer Review Forum of Participating Heads of
State/Government
Issues on the agenda of summit will, amongst others, include:
* Energy
* Transport
* Infrastructure investments in line with the theme, as well as political
discussions on the following:
* Peace, security and stability on the African continent, including the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Sudan etc
* Middle East and Palestine
* Global financial crisis
Ahead of the 12th Ordinary Session of summit, a special session on the union
government is also scheduled for 1 February 2009.
President Jakaya Kikwete will open the 12th Ordinary Session of the AU
Assembly, followed by statements from Dr Jean Ping, Chairperson of the AU
Commission as well as statements by Mr Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the
United Nations as well as Mr Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab
States.
For more information, contact:
Nomfanelo Kota
Cell: 082 259 3787
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
28 January 2009
