APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The African Union (AU) has allowed Eritrea to open a diplomatic representation at the AU Commission ’’as soon as possible’’ to enable the authorities of that country to participate in the meetings of the pan-African organization, APA learns on Tuesday from a source close to the Union.

The Eritrea mission to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will be solely accredited to the AU, said the President of the Commission in a letter addressed to the Foreign Minister of Eritrea, copied to APA during the 14th ordinary session of the summit of the continental organization that has ended its work on the same day in the Ethiopian capital.

According to Jean Ping, the mission will neither undertake, nor pursue bilateral activities and the staff will hold office only in Addis Ababa at the headquarters of the AU.

In a letter addressed to the President of the AU Commission, the Eritrean Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned the Ethiopian government’s refusal to accept a representation of his country to the AU.

Eritrea has no ambassador to the AU for ten years, he said.

“Eritrea was denied its right to participate in summits and other meetings of the AU in Addis Ababa because of the refusal of Ethiopia to grant the same diplomatic and security guarantees granted to all member states”, the Eritrean official said in his letter to Ping.