Our Executive Director, Dr. Lawalley Cole, was delighted to meet with Mr. Talal Abdulla Ala Zeezi, the Head of the African Union Section at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this morning. This meeting highlighted issues of mutual interest in education and youth development in Africa. Mr. Talal Al Azeezi stated that the UAE places great importance on youth skills development through its various national initiatives focused on strengthening the participation of young people in society. Dr. Cole thanked Mr. Talal and the UAE government for the tremendous support in Africa’s education, health, and other social services that affect young people in several African countries. He also spoke about CAFOR’s ten flagship projects that would cut across the African continent and looked forward to the participation of the United Arab Emirates in their fulfillment. The UAE is also looking forward to participating in the CAFOR Roundtable Partners’ Conference, with about 200 more participants scheduled to be held in Addis Ababa by mid-October.