A local fisherman goes fishing in the waters around the Island of Mozambique, located in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula. (Xinhua/Liu Dalong)

ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) will be holding an extraordinary summit next week on maritime security, safety and development on the African continent in Lome, Togo.

A statement from the pan-African bloc said the summit has been scheduled to take place between Oct. 11 and Oct. 15.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, and President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo met earlier this month in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to discuss preparations for the summit, the statement said.

"We're looking forward to the Summit. The sea is a huge resource for us ... The world is looking at the sea as the next economic frontier, and so Africa can not afford to lag behind," noted Dlamini-Zuma during her meeting with President Gnassingbe.

They have also discussed the need to have a team of lawyers as well as an AU body to help in determining every Member States' continental shelf, it said.

The statement added the two leaders underlined the importance of tapping into the resources of the sea to increase Africa's prosperity, instead of allowing those resources to become a source of conflict.

The Summit is expected to adopt an African Maritime Security Charter, said the statement, therefore, the Heads of State and Government will take the discussions beyond security to include issues of fishing, transport, mining, and tourism, which can help boost job creation and employment for African countries.

President Gnassingbe assured Dlamini Zuma of the advanced state of readiness in Togo, and looked forward to welcoming the Chairperson in Lome, according to the statement.