New African Union (AU) Headquarters Inaugurated
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Source: Tomothy Gobah - Daily Graphic
The African Union (AU) has inaugurated a new Conference Centre and office at the 18th Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 20-storey building, with a height of 99.9 metres, built on a 52,000 metre square land, which dominates the skyline of Addis Ababa, is a gift from the Chinese Government to the AU.
It will house a 2,550-seat big conference hall, a 650-seat medium conference hall, five press conference rooms and two VIP rooms, among other facilities.
It is the biggest of China’s aid projects after the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. The project started on February 26, 2009 and was completed on December 26, 2011.
In the course of the construction, the project received high attention from the AU, the Ethiopian government as well as various Chinese leaders, who have highly commended the efficient management and outstanding construction of the contractor, the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC),
In his remarks at the inauguration, the Chairperson of the AU Commision, Dr Jean Ping thanked the Chinese Government for a facility he said was timely and met the exigencies of the time.
He said the union valued the gift, stressing that it symbolized the strong bond of friendship between Africa and China.
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr Ato Meles Zenawi, said the last decade of the 20th Century had not been good for Africa adding that in terms of development it was a lost decade.
He expressed concern over pockets of wars and disturbances in many parts of the continent and noted, however that the continent was making giant strides to extricate itself from such negativities.
He said Africa was doing everything to take its position in the scheme of affairs, noting that the continent had been unshackled from colonialism and was rising from the prison of hopelessness.
The Chairman of the Chinese Peoples Consultative Conference of China, Mr Jia Qinglin who was the Guest Speaker, said China had an investment stock of $ 13 billion in Africa in the areas of transport education and infrastructure.
The AU also laid a foundation stone for the construction of an AU Human Rights Memorial (AUHRM) and also planted trees.
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