Senior Officials Joint Preparatory Meeting for the Third Africa-Arab Summit
Kuwait, 14th November 2013- The preparatory meetings for the Third Africa-Arab Summit was launched today, Thursday in the State of Kuwait with a meeting for senior officials to discuss the items included in the agenda of the Preparatory Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers in preparation for the Summit. Decisions about these items will be submitted later to Arab and African leaders for adoption by the Summit, which will be held from 19 - 20 November 2013 at the Bayan Palace.
This Summit follows the Sirte Summit of 2010, which established the principle of organizing the regular holding of the Africa-Arab Summit every three years. The two partners were keen to focus on economy and development which is essential for meeting the expectations of the people of the two regions. Accordingly, the Third Summit's theme, "Partners in Development and Investment", was chosen to reflect those concerns.
The senior officials meeting will discuss the joint report of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, as well as the report and decision of the second meeting of the Arab and African Ministers of Agriculture on the development of agriculture and food security that took place in Riyadh on October 2nd, 2013; and the recommendations of Africa-Arab Economic Forum held in Kuwait on 11- 12 November 2013.
The meeting will also discuss a proposal pertaining to promoting African-Arab cooperation in trade, investment, transport, energy and immigration as well as an African-Arab funding mechanism for joint projects and activities. The senior officials meeting will also look into the proposal for reviving the Committee of Africa-Arab Partnership and review the assessment report of the performance of the African-Arab Cultural Institute.
At its conclusion, the Summit will adopt a declaration9 and resolutions to advance the achievement of the aims of the partnership.
