Beijing, 3 September 2018: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, met President Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros this morning in Beijing, on the sidelines of the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The meeting provided an opportunity to review the situation in the Comoros, in light of the constitutional referendum held in late July 2018 and subsequent developments. President Azali expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue, in order to promote the political consensus and stability necessary for the development of the Comoros.

For his part, the Chairperson of the Commission welcomed President Azali's openness to dialogue, stressing the need for such a process to be inclusive. He urged the implementation of confidence-building measures to create a conducive environment. It was agreed that African Union High Representative Ramtane Lamamra will travel to Moroni shortly in order to facilitate discussions among the Comorian stakeholders.