Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has participated in the second day of the African Union Executive Council ministerial level meetings, which was held on 7 and 8 February and set to be followed by the summit meetings of heads of state and government of the African Union at the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa next Sunday and Monday .

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi left for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday in an official visit for the AU summit where he will assume the 2019 chairmanship of the body.

In a statement on Friday, the Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady explained that El-Sisi will take over as chairman on Sunday prior to the 32nd Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said that Shoukry took part in several sessions to discuss reports on the activities of the African Union to be submitted to the summit meetings of the African leaders.

Shoukry also received reports on the activities of AU’s specialized and subcommittees and the election of five new members to join the African Peace and Security Council.

The AU summit will be held under the theme of “Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced People," which Rady said was chosen due to Africa’s efforts to stem influx of returnees and refugees and a rise in human trafficking.