ADDIS ABABA
By Mohamed Abu Zahra
The 22nd summit of the African Union (AU) kicked off in Addis Ababa on Thursday.
The two-day summit is attended by heads of state and governments of 53 member-states in addition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu , Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif and representatives of the European Union.
Egypt is absent from the summit as the country's membership was suspended following the July 3 ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi by the military.
The summit will focus on means of reducing poverty, promoting economic growth and creating wealth through agricultural development.
The African leaders are also expected to assess the achievements and challenges associated with the implementation of a continental food security and agriculture development plan.
They will review the situation in conflict-stricken countries, including the Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan and Egypt.
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