The 2^nd Meeting of the Coordination Committee for Africa-Arab Partnership convened in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, 8^th July 2013: The Second Meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Africa-Arab Partnership convenes today Monday 8^th July 2013, at the African Union Headquarter, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in preparation for the third Africa- Arab Summit, scheduled to take place in November 2013, in the State of Kuwait.

Addressing participants, Ambassador Konjit Sinegorgis, Permanent Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to the African Union Commission and Chair of the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC), said the African Union Commission (AUC), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the State of Kuwait which is the host country, will focus on the preparation of the Africa Arab Summit to ensure a successful summit as well as ways to reinforce the Africa -Arab partnership.

Mr. Saief Ben Mokadem Al Buenin, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the League of Arab States in his opening remarks, said the Africa Arab Summit will confirm the long standing of the partnership." It is necessary for us to work not only at the political level but also at the economic level for the mutual interest of both Africa and the Arab world.

The Second Meeting of the Coordination Committee, considered among others,  the recommendations of the Reports of the First and Second Tripartite Consultative meetings on the preparation for the 3^rd Africa-Arab Summit, respectively held in Kuwait on 9^th March and in Cairo on 8^th April 2013  , as well as the draft of the Mid-term Review Report on the implementation of the Africa-Arab Partnership 2011- 2013,

Additionally, the meeting discussed areas of cooperation for the period 2014 – 2016, to be considered by the Summit, including the popularization and work plan for the preparation of the 2013 Summit as well as the status of the Africa-Arab Institute for Culture and Strategic Studies.

Organized by the African Union Commission, the League of Arab States, and the State of Kuwait, the 3^rd Africa – Arab Summit will be held in the State of Kuwait in November 2013, under the theme ”Partners in Development and Investment”. It will focus on six areas of priority: Political and Peace Security, food security, trade and investment, private sector development ,development of infrastructure and enhancing the role of women in development