The African Union -AU- Commission has declared Zambia ready to host the 4th Mid- Year Coordination Meeting which starts on Thursday.
AU Deputy Chief of Mission Tordeta Ratabaye said Zambia’s hosting of the meeting is special because it comes on the backdrop of the 20th anniversary of the African Union.
Mr Ratabaye said this during the first Press briefing of the 4th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.
He anticipates the summit to be historic because Zambia hosted the transition meeting from the Organisation of African Unity- OAU- to the African Union- AU- in 2001.
Mr Ratabaye has also laid down part of the agenda of the meeting.
He says the meeting will be preceded by an Executive Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers who will be putting up the AU budget for 2023.
Mr Ratabaye says the meeting will also discuss progress made towards regional integration.
He adds that the Heads of States summit will further look into the continents response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected African countries in the last two years.
And, speaking at the same briefing, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Permanent Secretary Isaballe Lemba said Zambia will be hosting 12 Heads of States.
Ms Lemba said representatives of the 8-Regional Economic Communities on the continent will also be in attendance.
