(Seychelles News Agency) - The President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, will be attending the 30^th session of the African Union (AU) summit of heads of state which starts on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, State House said.

President Faure will leave the country on Saturday and return Monday.

According to CNBC Africa, an African television network, “Two critical issues will impact on the relevance of the AU as a regional mechanism: firstly, the continuation of the reforms proposed by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who is set to chair the organisation in 2018; and secondly, the adoption of a protocol of free movement that will further the integration of the continent.”

Seychelles’ Secretary of State for the Foreign Affairs department, Barry Faure, is attending the AU’s Executive Council two-day meeting which started on Thursday.

The Foreign Affairs department said in a press release that Barry Faure spoke on the subject of the implementation of the Africa Agenda 2063 and flagship projects. The Agenda is a framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years and the flagship projects are those approved by the AU Summit and seen as very urgent and relevant. 

Faure said that while there has been progress in some areas like with the Single African Air Transport Market, he expressed concern that the majority of the projects were encountering delays. He called for robust mechanisms to be put in place to address this.

The Secretary of State also noted that more should be done to encourage synergies and links between the private sectors to ensure that the projects are fully realised.

As an example, he cited how the Seychelles Petroleum Company (SEYPEC) is partnering with the African Ship Owners Association to host a summit in the island nation’s capital, Victoria, from April 23-26 this year. The summit’s objective is to promote African ownership and participation in Africa's shipping industry and the development of an African Fleet.