ADDIS ABABA — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reported that attendees of the African Union (AU) summits commended Addis Ababa’s Corridor Development project, with numerous leaders expressing interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation on urban development.
The National Committee for the AU Summits Chairperson and MoFA State Minister Ambassador Birtukan Ayano stated that the summit saw the in-person attendance of 30 presidents, three deputy presidents, five prime ministers, one king, and 17 first ladies.
Amb. Birtukan noted that these leaders praised the city’s transformation, particularly the aesthetic improvements brought about by the corridor development initiative.
This sparked considerable interest in urban development strategies among the visiting leaders, with several expected to send delegations for future official visits.
The summit, which hosted 17,000 guests, including representatives from non-African countries, demonstrated Ethiopia’s capacity to provide both hospitality and security for large-scale international events. Amb. Birtukan emphasized the smooth execution of the summit, highlighting Ethiopia’s ability to accommodate such a large number of attendees without incident.
Addressing potential logistical challenges, the ambassador confirmed that immigration officials provided efficient services to the 12,000 international participants. High-level delegations received full diplomatic protocol, and Ethiopian Civil Aviation and Ethiopian Airlines effectively managed flight service requests.
“A total of 57 charter flights landed at Bole International Airport without any air traffic issues,” she stated.
Beyond hosting, Ethiopia engaged in numerous bilateral and multilateral diplomatic meetings, holding discussions with representatives from various countries and international organizations. This created opportunities for future diplomatic engagement, the ambassador underlined.
