PM To Meet AU Commission Chairperson, Give Special Lecture On Last Day Of Visit To Ethiopia

From M. Saraswathi

ADDIS ABABA, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to meet African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who is from Djibouti, today.

The 55-member AU, which was officially launched in July 2002, is the representative voice for Africa on the global stage, and one of its key roles is to encourage international cooperation.

The meeting is part of the programme for Anwar’s three-day official visit to Ethiopia that ends today.

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister will deliver a special lecture titled “Bridging Civilisations, Building Futures: Strengthening Afro-Malaysia Partnership for Shared Prosperity” for the Pan-African Youth Union and Ethiopia Youth Council.

Anwar will conclude his visit here by receiving a courtesy call from the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council.

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with over 80 ethnic groups, where Christianity is the most widely professed faith followed by Islam.

From Addis Ababa, the Prime Minister will proceed with a working visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, from today to Nov 23 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, and then to Nairobi, Kenya, from Nov 23 to 24 before heading home.

Anwar’s visit to Ethiopia – the first to the country by a Malaysian Prime Minister – is also to reciprocate the visit by Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali to Malaysia in October last year.

The visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which was established in January 1965.

-- BERNAMA