Lagos — Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe, has expressed the hope that the next AU Summit would make more progress in concluding the formation of the African Union Government.

The summit is scheduled for Libya from June 28 to July 3. Maduekwe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that "hopefully, progress would be made in concluding the issue of the union government".

"We do not think we should allow the gap between the so-called realists, gradualists and the accelerators. That gap is not healthy.

"There is need to have a continental government someday but we need to establish benchmark, define milestones more clearly and build on solid achievements of regional economic blocs.

"We think the meeting in Libya should succeed more than any other because we do not want to come back to each meeting starting all over," the minister said.

Maduekwe expressed optimism based on the fact that the Libyan leader, being the current Chairman of the AU, is hosting the summit.

"The responsibility of hosting such a meeting would be quite conducive to a greater disposition to listening to other points of view on the formation of the union government," he said.

He explained that there were issues of global economic crisis as it affects most parts of the developing countries.

The minister added that the issues of investment, peace and security would be a major consideration at the summit.

According to Maduekwe, the continent is challenged by security crisis in Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Madagascar.

"The summit will try to see what to do with the governments of Madagascar and Mauritania which have defiled the call by the AU authorities to return to constitutionality.

"It will also look at plans to comply in Guinea Conakry," he said.

He said the piracy crisis in Somalia, which was gradually threatening the continent, would also be examined.

"We will go beyond restating positions. There will be need now to be more proactive on what to be done to solve the problem.

"Allowing any failed state in Africa like the case of Somalia can be quite contagious because failed states breed terrorists," he stressed.