Malabo: The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, is in Equatorial Guinea where he is leading South Africa's delegation at the 47th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council. The session, currently underway in Malabo, commenced on Thursday, 10 July 2025. According to South African Government News Agency, the Council will consider and adopt the AU budget for the 2026 period. The budget is a crucial enabler for the AU to address challenges facing the continent, ensuring Africa's continued resilience and the sustenance of the AU Commission, which acts as the principal implementing body for AU decisions. The Council is also set to elect and appoint two outstanding Commissioners for Economic Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) and for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (ESTI). The department announced that Minister Lamola will use this platform to update his counterparts on the progress achieved during South Africa's Group of 20 (G20) Pres idency. The upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, slated for November 2025, signifies an opportunity to elevate Africa's voice on the global stage. South Africa's participation in this Ordinary Session of the Executive Council underscores its commitment to fortifying the AU and its organs. "We aim to ensure our union effectively pursues the noble aspiration of Silencing the Guns by 2030; the accelerated implementation of the second Ten-Year Plan of Agenda 2063, which embodies our collective vision for prosperity; and the robust advancement of the African Continental Free Trade Area," Lamola explained. Beyond the formal agenda, the department indicated that Minister Lamola will aim to deepen solidarity by engaging in bilateral meetings with his counterparts, focusing on exchanging views on issues of mutual interest.