Ashraf AboArafe
.. Thus, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zaid, the official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received today, May 15, the African ambassadors accredited in Cairo, within the framework of the celebrations of Africa Day, which is celebrated on May 25 of each year. This year coincides with the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman pointed out that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed during the meeting the importance of Africa Day as an occasion to celebrate the founding fathers of the Organization of African Unity and their contribution to putting the continent on the path of independence, unity and development, and to celebrate the progress made in the process of promoting peace, security, governance and development in Africa, as well as deep thinking. In the challenges and opportunities to achieve the hopes and aspirations of the peoples of the continent for a better future. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also noted that the unity of the countries of the continent and cooperation among them is the basis for overcoming any challenges they face, especially in today’s world of polarization and geopolitical tensions, and the multiple and successive crises that the continent suffers from in light of efforts to recover from the repercussions of the Corona pandemic, and the impact of war on Ukraine has food, energy and climate crises, high inflation and debt.
Ambassador Abu Zeid added that Mr. Sameh Shoukry highlighted during the meeting Egypt’s continued commitment, as a founding member of the Organization of African Unity, to exert all efforts to achieve the African interest and support brotherly African countries in the bilateral and multilateral tracks, citing the important results of the COP27 climate conference for the continent, and Egypt’s extended contribution to the efforts Preserving and building peace in Africa at the levels of the United Nations and the African Union and Egypt’s efforts in light of the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for the file of reconstruction and development in the African Union, as well as his chairmanship of the Steering Committee of Heads of State and Government of the African Union Development Agency, as two pivotal tools to enhance the continent’s ownership of the peacebuilding agenda and development. He affirmed Egypt’s keenness to intensify cooperation with international partners and financing institutions to bridge the financing gap for development projects in the continent, reduce the debt burden and implement the continent’s 2063 agenda, in addition to working with brotherly African countries to activate the continental free trade area.
Ambassador Abu Zeid concluded his remarks, noting that Minister Shoukry indicated that the celebration of Africa Day represents an opportunity to collectively renew the commitment and determination of the countries of the continent to the principles of unity, solidarity and cooperation to achieve African priorities and improve the lives and aspirations of the peoples of the continent towards a bright future.
During the meeting, an open dialogue took place between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and accredited African ambassadors on various issues and challenges facing the continent, as well as bilateral relations between Egypt and a number of brotherly African countries and ways to enhance them, in order to achieve the aspirations of the African peoples and maximize the benefit from the resources available in Africa to support stability. and development on the continent.
