Blatter to attend African Union summit
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter has been invited to attend the 8th African Union (AU) Summit, which will bring together African heads of state and government, in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) tomorrow.
Mali’s Alpha Oumar Konaré, the chairman of the African Union Commission, has requested the FIFA President’s presence for two main reasons.
First of all, 2007 promises to be an excellent year for African football as it will see the launch of the “international year of African football”. This AU initiative is just one of many activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Also, the FIFA President’s visit will tie in with South Africa’s hosting of the next FIFA World Cup in 2010.
“It is an immense honour for me to be able to address all of the African heads of state,” said the President of world football’s governing body,” said Blatter
“It will be an excellent opportunity to remind the entire African continent that holding the FIFA World Cup on African soil will be an exceptional way to pay homage to football across Africa and to show the world the true depth of its potential.”
Blatter, accompanied by South African President Thabo Mbeki as well as CAF President and FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou, will address the heads of state attending the summit. He will focus on the “Win in Africa with Africa” project, a FIFA initiative designed to help the entire continent to benefit from the dynamics created by the first ever FIFA World Cup in an African country.