Turkey delivers $1mn annual contribution to AU

Turkey has delivered its annual contribution of $1 million to the Addis Ababa-based African Union (AU).

“The annual contribution is vital to the AU operation budget and a lot of work will be done employing this,” Erastus Mwencha, the AU Commission’s deputy chairperson, said after receiving the of $1 million check from Turkish Ambassador to Ethiopia Osman Riza Yavuzalp.

“We need budget support from Turkey to work on women’s empowerment and human capital development,” Mwencha said.

The AU official also hailed ongoing economic and trade cooperation between the pan-African body and Turkey, the latter of which enjoys economic representation in a number of African countries.

“We want to broaden and deepen cooperation between Africa and Turkey,” Mwencha said, adding that there were many areas of common concern between the two sides, including counter-terrorism.

“The relationship is becoming broader, especially after the [African-Turkish] Malabo summit, which brought together the leaders of Africa and Turkey,” he said.

Yavuzalp, for his part, said the Turkish contribution reflected Turkey’s ongoing commitment to helping Africa’s quest for development.

“We will give further donations and pursue its effectiveness,” the Turkish diplomat said.

Turkey hopes to step up its cooperation with Africa in the fields of agriculture, energy, security and human resource development, Yavuzalp said.

“We’re on the right track to pursue stepped-up cooperation,” he asserted.