Sisi to attend 33rd AU Summit in Addis Ababa Feb. 9: Egyptian amb.

CAIRO – 6 February 2020: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will attend the 33rd African Union Summit set to run until February 10th in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, the Egyptian ambassador said, during which Egypt will hand over the presidency of the AU to South Africa.

The summit comes under the 2020 theme of “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions For Africa’s Development,” a commitment that aims at achieving peace and security in Africa, in accordance with continent’s Agenda 2063.

President Sisi will chair a closed session to review the challenges facing the African continent, as Egypt has chaired the AU in 2019, Egyptian Ambassador to Ethiopia Osama Abdel Khaleq told Egypt’s Extra News.

Sisi will meet, during the summit, with a number of African leaders and guests from around the world, Abdel Khaleq said, adding that the president will give a speech about the country’s accomplishments of Sisi during 2019.

An opening session during the summit will host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas or his delegate, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, he added.

The 36th session of the Executive Council of the African Union kicked off in Addis Ababa on Thursday under Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

On Twitter, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said the Egyptian top diplomat will preside over the two-day meeting and deliver a speech at the opening session.

The council meeting at the level of the foreign ministers will be followed by the 33rd summit of the heads of state on Sunday and Monday.

The Executive Council meeting will tackle key issues dealing with AU activities as well as the file of refugees, returnees and the internally displaced.

Shoukry is due to hold talks with his African counterparts on the sidelines of the meetings to discuss issues of mutual concern.

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MENA contributed to the reporting