Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Jean Ping said on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 12th AU Summit that Africa should step up infrastructure development in order to boost the physical integration of the continent.

At the ceremony attended by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amr Moussa and heads of state and government of the AU member countries, Jean Ping said the theme for the summit is infrastructure development in Africa, especially in the transport and energy sectors.

"The choosing of this theme is a signal for the acceleration of physical integration of the continent and it reflected the determination to alternate from thinking to action in regard of improving African countries' infrastructure conditions," he said.

The AU chief added that efforts would be focused on specific projects, which constitute the core of concerns and the daily aspiration of African peoples.

Addressing the impact of the global financial crisis, Jean Ping noted that it had proved necessary for Africa's voice to be heard in the making of world economic decisions.

He mentioned that the AU will seek participation at the G20 summit in London to represent the continent of Africa.

Talking about the food shortage confronted by the African peoples, Jean Ping said African countries will make medium and long-term plans to support the agriculture sector in order to tackle the problem of food insecurity.

Regarding the AU Commission, Jean Ping said it would seek institutional capacity building and shore up efficiency through investment on financial and human resources.

The AU chief also mentioned security situations in Somalia, Sudan's Darfur region and the Democratic Republic of Congo, calling for all related parties to make joint efforts to realize peace and security in those countries or regions.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2009)