Kazakh delegation attends African Union Summit

Addis Ababa. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Ethiopia Barlybay Sadyakov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the African Union, participated in the annual 36th Summit of the Heads of the African Union (AU) to be held in the capital of Ethiopia on February 18-19, 2023. Kazinform learned from the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The AU summit was attended by more than 40 heads of state and government, 8 foreign ministers of AU member states, heads of international organizations – the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the International Organization for Migration, among others. President of the European Council Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Palestine Mohammad Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa and several other high-ranking representatives of the AU’s observer states.

The main issues on the agenda of the AU summit were: conflict, terrorism, unconstitutional coup, food security, UN Security Council reform, AU response measures to the COVID-19 pandemic, security as a result of the implementation of the agreement on the establishment of Threats African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), climate change, etc.

Following the AU Summit outcomes, a number of documents were adopted on agenda items. The chairmanship of the AU passed from the Republic of Senegal to the Union of Comoros. The year 2023 has been declared in Africa as «the year to accelerate the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area».

During the summit, the United Nations announced the allocation of US$250 million to Africa from the United Nations Emergency Fund. The World Bank has announced the allocation of US$50 billion in financial development assistance to African countries in 2023.

In addition, on February 15-16, 2023, Permanent Representative Sadyakov attended the 42nd session of the African Union’s Executive Council with the participation of African foreign ministers as well as a number of events. Summit, held bilateral meetings with members of delegations of AU member states.

For reference: Kazakhstan has been an observer country in the African Union since 2013. The 36th summit was an anniversary. 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (transformed into the African Union in 2002).