Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 8 February 2016: The Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, H.E. Dr. Martial De-Paul Ikounga met with a Special envoy of the President of Iran to discuss areas of potential cooperation between the African Union and Iran. The meeting took place on 29 January 2016, at the headquarters of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 26th Ordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, innovation and business incubation are powerful tools for the achievement of progress in global society and the global economy as a whole. For Africa to fully benefit from these tools in its ongoing effort to address continental challenges, it must build a strong indigenous capacity in these areas. Over the years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has attained an impressive level of scientific and technological development in these areas and is willing to share its experience with African countries in support of their development.
Speaking at the meeting, the Special Envoy of the President of Iran reiterated his Government’s willingness to pursue collaboration with the African Union, explaining that Iran’s strategy for collaboration and cooperation with Africa aims at building and enhancing friendly relations and also supporting and contributing to the scientific, technological, economic and social development of African countries. Pursuant to the above, the Special Envoy announced that the Government of Iran had allocated twenty (20) scholarships for African students to study in Iran. The Special Envoy also extended an invitation to the African Union to organize and send a delegation of African experts drawn from different backgrounds to undertake an experience-sharing visit to Iran.
The Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology underlined the importance of science, technology and innovation in the quest for Africa’s rapid development and thanked the Government of Iran for the generous offer of scholarships and its eagerness to assist African countries in achieving their developmental goals. The Commissioner pledged that the Commission will support and facilitate the collaboration between the African Union and Iran and identified the Pan African University as a key AU Institution that could serve as a core platform for building and fostering the cooperation through various forms of academic exchange with Iranian institutions of higher learning.
This meeting comes as the African Union Commission takes steps to implement and achieve Agenda 2063 – the vision of Africa by Africans for the next 50 years. This collaboration envisaged between the African Union and Iran will therefore empower young Africans to excel in science, technology and innovation, thereby contributing towards the achievement of the goals of Agenda 2063. Popularly themed ‘The Africa We Want’, the African Union Agenda 2063 encapsulates the voice of Africa’s people and their aspirations for the next 50 years. It emphasizes inclusive prosperity, integration, community participation, good governance and peace among many other ideals.

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Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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