The African Union (AU) announced Sunday that Egypt would head the AU Summit's upcoming round in 2019, following the closing meeting of African leaders, according to a statement from presidency spokesman Bassam Rady. During his participation in the 30th AU Summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi praised the efforts exerted by Guinean President Alpha Condé, head of the current round of the AU Summit, on the issue of institutional reformation. In his speech before the African leaders, Al-Sisi said that despite Egypt's agreement that the summit of African leaders has absolute authority, he also believes that the decision-making process should pass through lower levels before being discussed at the summit in order to undergo reviews and improve accuracy, so that problems in implementation do not surface. Moreover, Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit called, during his speech, for strengthening the partnership between Africa and the Arab world. He added that the Arab League will continue working with the AU to end the Libyan crisis, as well as helping Somali factions rebuild their state. Aboul Gheit also praised the stance of African countries in the United Nations regarding the US unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to the city. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that following the peace process requires an international mechanism that includes multiple parties. He called upon the African nations to take part in it. Abbas also stressed the Palestinian insistence on the two-state solution. In his speech, the UN Secretary General António Guterres, said that African countries have the power to achieve greater progress. He pointed out that the UN has supported the political settlement initiative in the Republic of Central Africa. Guterres praised efforts exerted by African governments in their role in keeping security and stability in the whole world.
