African Union Commission Chairperson concludes Official Visit to Egypt
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 28, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping, on the 26th and 27th of March 2011, at the invitation of the Egyptian Government, undertook an official visit to the Republic of Egypt, during which he met with the Interim Prime Minister, Dr. Essam Sharaf, Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Nabil Al-Arabi and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States (LAS), Mr. Amr Moussa.
The visit offered the Chairperson an opportunity to personally get acquainted with the political transition process in Egypt and to extend his congratulations and encouragement to the Egyptian People and Government, for their peaceful revolution.
“Egypt has set an honorable example of peaceful political change, thus reaffirming its prestigious position as a leader and innovator in Africa and the Arab World,” Dr. Ping declared.
On his part, the Egyptian Prime Minister assured the Chairperson that the democratic transition in Egypt was on track and irreversible, adding that Africa will remain a top priority to the People and Government of Egypt.
Dr. Sharaf reiterated Egypt’s commitment to assist development endeavours on the Continent, particularly in the areas where Egypt possesses some expertise, such as, energy, transportation, agriculture and irrigation.
The Chairperson and the Egyptian leaders also exchanged views on current events in Libya and agreed on the need for non-interference from outside the Continent, and on the importance of timely democratic reforms as the best means to achieve security and stability in Africa.
During his meeting with the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Dr. Ping briefed the Secretary General on the 2nd Meeting of the AU High-Level Ad-Hoc Committee on Libya and the Consultative Meeting on Libya, both held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 25 March 2011.
Mr. Moussa expressed concern about the ongoing hostilities in Libya, with special emphasis on the civilian casualties caused by the airstrikes. He informed the Chairperson that the African Union Roadmap for resolving the Libyan crisis was under consideration by LAS Member States.
The AU Roadmap for resolving the Libyan crisis, as proposed by the High-Level Ad-Hoc Committee on Libya, during its 1st Meeting in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on the 19th of March 2011,
emphasizes the need for an African solution to the Libyan crisis and calls for:
1.) an immediate cessation of all hostilities and the facilitation by the Libyan authorities of the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy populations; 2.) the protection of all foreign nationals, including African migrant workers; 3.) the adoption and implementation of political reforms to eliminate the causes of the crisis, in recognition of the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan People for democracy, political reform, justice, peace and security; and 4.) better coordination of the International Community’s efforts to resolve the crisis.
Before leaving Egypt on Sunday, 27 March 2011, the Chairperson met with African Ambassadors in Cairo, whom he briefed on the major challenges facing the Continent, including Libya, Cote d’Ivoire and Somalia, and AU efforts to resolve these crises.
Dr. Ping was accompanied during the visit by the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra and the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr. Mrs. Elham Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim, as well as the Head of the AU Permanent Delegation to the League of Arab States, Ambassador Muftah M. Zawan, while on the Egyptian side, the Chairperson’s meeting with the Prime Minister was attended by the Minister of International Cooperation and the Minister of Irrigation.
SOURCE
African Union Commission (AUC)
