Addis Ababa, 17 Feb (Xinhua) -- The 37 th summit of the African Union (AU) opened at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on 17 February. The core topics of the summit focused on the regional security situation, the development of the African continent, the reform of the African Union, and the enhancement of Africa's influence.
At the opening ceremony, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Faki acknowledged the progress made in African integration, the African Continental Free Zone and institutional reforms, and called for more aggressive measures for economic recovery. He said Africa still faces major challenges such as instability in the security situation, climate change, deficiencies in economic governance, poverty and social inequality. At the same time, he pointed out that African countries have achieved more consensus on issues such as climate, global governance reform, and the financing of African peacekeeping missions.
Azali Assomani, Chairman-in-Office of the African Union (AU) and Comorian Comorian, said at the opening ceremony that 2023 will be a decisive year for Africa, and Africa's voice will become more prominent on the international stage. He stressed that joining the G20 is a major step forward for Africa to achieve its development goals, and the AU has become a participant in global economic governance, which brings bright prospects for Africa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali said that the rise of Africa is crucial to the world, and the continent needs to strengthen infrastructure construction, ensure food security and create jobs. He called on the world's leading financial institutions to provide opportunities for Africa's development.
The theme of the two-day summit was "Nurturing Africans for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems in Africa with Access to Inclusive, Long-term, Quality and Realistic Learning Opportunities". (ENDS).