President Ahtisaari's Meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister (23.2.2010)

On February 2nd 2010, the former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Martti Ahtisaari, met with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi.  The meeting took place during the 14th Summit of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Their discussions centered on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, where Prime Minister Meles briefed the President on the situation in Sudan and Somalia. 

President Ahtisaari commended the activities of the African Union to resolve problems on the continent, and referred to the Crisis Management Initiative's role in enhancing the Union's conflict prevention and mediation capacity and good practices. 

President Ahtisaari was a special guest at the African Union summit.  Addressing the summit, President Ahtisaari underlined that the creation of the Union in 2002 was an important milestone in developing collective security among African states.  The President added that, "the African Union has brought about a significant improvement in the ability of Africa to promote stability, anticipate and prevent conflicts, promote and facilitate peace processes, and support post-conflict reconstruction." 

For more information on CMI's work with the African Union click here.