Statement at the Thirty Fifth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government

"This meeting is the last summit of our Organization before the new millennium. It provides therefore an opportunity for us, as Africans, to reflect on our past, to examine our present and to look forward to our common future. It is also an occasion to remember and pay homage to the founding fathers of our Organization for their wisdom and vision, and for having provided our Continent with an Institution which embodies the collective will and aspirations of the peoples of Africa." - Dr. Salim, July 12, 1999