Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will head to Addis Ababa on Wednesday evening to participate in a number of meetings preceding the 30th summit of the Africa Union, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced.

According to the statement, Minister Shoukry will participate in a number of sideline events, including the African Committee for Commerce meeting and the African Committee for Libya meeting.

The Egyptian foreign minister will meet on the sidelines with a number of his African counterparts to discuss with them bilateral relations and cooperation on issues of joint interest.

The African Union pre-summit meetings are being held from 22 to 26 January in the Ethiopian capital, followed by a summit meeting for African leaders from 28 to 29 January.

According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, the aim of the 2018 summit is finding a "sustainable path for Africa's transformation."

The AU has declared 2018 the year of African Anti-Corruption, according to its website.