ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atske Selassie has proposed the inclusion of Amharic, a national and widely spoken language in the East African country, as one of the official languages of the African Union (AU).

He made the proposal during the opening of the 44th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU that began Wednesday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Addressing the session, Atske Selassie noted that in alignment with the AU's Agenda 2063, empowering indigenous African languages should be strengthened to contribute to the progress of the African continent.

"I wish to propose the inclusion of Amharic as one of the official languages of the African Union," Atske Selassie said.

He said it is worth noting that the charter of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the AU, was initially signed in four languages, including Amharic.

"Adopting Amharic as one of the official languages of the union would honor Africa's linguistic diversity and boost our collective identity as Africans," he added.

The foreign minister also emphasized the collective responsibility of the union to build a resilient educational system across the continent. He also highlighted the need to significantly improve the AU's working methods, and strengthen the AU Commission and its organs through availing adequate resources.

This year's AU summit is being held under the theme "Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa."

The 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU is set to take place on Feb. 17-18. It is preceded by the 44th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council which runs on Feb. 14-15. Enditem

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