Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times Ministers in his Department have met with the leadership of the African Union since 5 July 2024.

FCDO Ministers regularly engage with the leadership of the African Union (AU). Lord Collins spoke with the AU Commissioners for Political Affairs and Trade and Industry immediately following his appointment in July. Lord Collins and I both met AU Commissioners in Addis Ababa during visits in August, and Lord Collins subsequently met with AU Commission Chairperson Faki at the UN General Assembly in September. I met with the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment during COP29 in November.