SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Addis Ababa, 06/07/04, (SPS) The third ordinary summit of the African Union (AU), which opened its works Tuesday morning in Addis Ababa with the participation of more than 40 Head of States and Government, elected the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to the post of AU's vice-president, reported SPS special envoy.
 
After the speeches of former President of the Union, the Mozambican Joachim Chissano, of the President of AU's Commission, Professor Alpha Omar Konaré and UN's Secretary General, Kofi Annan, the Summit elected Nigerian Head of State, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, to chair the works of the summit, and who will be assisted by fourteen vice-presidents, two from each African region, of whom the president of SADR.

The Head of the State, Mohamed Abdelaziz, has had meetings, to discuss bilateral relationships and peace questions in the continent in margin of the summit, with his counterparts Presidents of Nigeria, Benin, Botswana and Chad, as well as with Prime ministers of Mauritius, Ethiopia and the vice-president of Kenya.

The opening session took place at the siege of the Economic Commission for Africa, attended by the official delegations of the 53 member states, tens of representatives of regional and international organisations, members of diplomatic embassies as well as hundreds of representatives of international Medias.

The third ordinary summit has in the schedule questions related to development and establishment of peace and stability in regions in the continent still disturbed by conflicts, it was indicated.

It should be recalled that SADR is represented by an important delegation, chaired by the President of the Republic, composed of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, the Saharawi Coordinator with the Minurso, Mr. Mhamed Khadad, Saharawi Ambassador to Addis Abeba, M. Lehbib Breica and other assistants to the presidency, Foreign Affairs and the ministry of information (SPS)
 
060/090/100 061845 July 04 SPS