Opening the 15th Annual Retreat of the African Union Peace and Security Council in Tunis on Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, stressed the need for the Council to continuously develop its capacity to effectively address the challenges it faces, which are multidimensional, as stipulated in the Council's protocol, as well as the AU's concept of "African solutions to African problems". The Minister pointed out that this annual retreat would provide an opportunity to rethink the way the Council carries out its tasks, with a view to further developing and supporting its working methods. It will also address the gaps contained in the Protocol of the Council on Security and Peace in order to enhance its effectiveness in consolidating the pillars of peace and security. In this regard, the Minister called on the participants to be courageous in discussing the measures related to the implementation of the decisions of the PSC so that they are applied with the necessa ry effectiveness on the ground. He also stressed the need to continue to work intensively to achieve common objectives of solidarity and integrated development in Africa, based on understanding among African countries and peoples. The foreign minister emphasised the need to give priority to dialogue in order to establish peace on the African continent, which has suffered greatly from the scourge of conflict, and to realise the aspirations of the African peoples for a common destiny in a context of security and stability. Nabil Ammar expressed his firm belief in the capacity of the African continent to defend its strategic interests and priorities in the field of security, to mobilise its capacities for their implementation and to find effective solutions to outstanding issues, within the framework of a comprehensive and integrated partnership and clear visions, in order to silence the sound of arms and spread the culture of peace. Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the month o f November, Abdi Mahamoud Eybe, stressed the need for a regular assessment of the Council's working methods in order to maintain its pivotal role and to keep pace with the scale of the challenges it faces. He added that this retreat would provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the Council's working methods, identify gaps and propose recommendations to improve the work of member states. In this regard, he stressed the need for coordination with other organs of the African Union in order to enhance the capacity to resolve conflicts effectively and sustainably through joint action. He urged the Council to support the efforts of member states to resolve their internal conflicts and to play a leading role in this regard by strengthening their institutions and enabling them to be properly empowered. Participants at the 15th retreat of the AU Peace and Security Council began their work by observing a minute of silence in memory of the Palestinian martyrs of the brutal Israeli aggression on the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse