We want to help Ethiopians in their development, but Egypt's water share is a ‘red line’: Sisi

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Thu, 15 Jul 2021 - 10:16 GMT

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Thu, 15 Jul 2021 - 10:16 GMT

 

CAIRO- 15 July 2021: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi said Thursday that Egypt's national security is a ‘red line’ that can never be crossed ‘whether anyone likes it or not.’

“We have varied options to protect our national security that we decide according to the situation and circumstances” Sisi said adding that the government use wisdom in its choices in means to protect the country’s national security.

In his speech at Haya Karima national project first conference, Thursday Sisi said that when he was younger, he used to dream to change the hard living situation in Egypt for some people. “I thought if I have a lot of money, I would have used it to make that difference, but god gave me even more” Sisi said.

 

“Look around and you will know that God has been generous to this country and has protected it” He added.

Sisi looked back during his speech on June 30 revolution saying that millions of Egyptians in every city and village voiced their rejection of an ideology that wanted to take over, and that the army was fully biased to the will of the people in these critical times.

“We decided to take Egypt back from those who wanted to manipulate religion. When I heeded to your calls, my trust in the capabilities of the Egyptian people was endless. I was only afraid of God. I had no goal but our homeland” Sisi stated.

He added that terrorism and challenges were immense, but so were the efforts. “A massive wave of terror hit us and martyrs have fallen in the ranks of the police and army; however, a new parliament was formed, and at the same time projects started all over the country’ Sisi said.

He noted that Hazardous housing and slums were eliminated, “all to provide Egyptians with Haya Karima (decent life).”

He explained that Haya Karima works on bettering the living standards of some 50 million citizens in the next 3 years at 700B EGP.

“We are establishing a new republic that is based on democracy, citizenship and modernity socially, economically and militarily.” Sisi said adding that Haya Karima also builds the Egyptian human as the seed of our new republic.

“I vow to you again that we go forward in establishing our new republic that was born in your revolution of June 30. We will continue our development and political plans to make a better future for the next generations” Egypt’s president said.

 

During his speech Sisi also referred to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue. He addressed Egyptians saying “Your concerns about GERD is legitimate, but let's talk about this calmly and in brief. We have always treated all our issue rationally and with deep planning, and we never lived an illusion or manipulated your feelings.”

“We talked to the Ethiopians and Sudanese of the Nile as a river for partnership and for good, and we want the good for all of us. We stand by the Ethiopians' side in using GERD as means of development in Ethiopia as well as anything for the Ethiopians' welfare” Sisi affirmed.

Sisi explained that Egypt is welling to help all African countries not just Sudan and Ethiopia, but of the African countries on just one condition, which is ‘preserving Egypt’s water share’.

“It is simple. We will send expertise and agricultural production for all our brothers in Africa. We only want to safeguard our water share” Sisi said.

He explained that heading to the security Council aimed at putting the issue under international spotlight.

At the end of his speech, Sisi addressed Ethiopians and Sudanese saying: “Let's have a legally binding agreement so we all live in peace and prosperity.”

He added: “Before anything happens to Egypt, it would mean that I and the Egyptian military do not exist.”

Under the auspices of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Cairo International Stadium host, the launch of the first conference for the national project “Haya Karima” (Decent Life) for the development of the Egyptian countryside’s villages.

The conference was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, several ministers and thousands of citizens representing all categories of the Egyptian people.

A number of public figures, media personnel, businessmen as well as representatives of Egyptian, regional and international institutions were among the attendees.

During the conference Sisi, signed Haya Karima National Project for the countryside Development Document.

“Haya Karima” is a national project to develop the Egyptian countryside. It started as an initiative launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on 2 January, 2019.

It was then transformed into a national project early in 2021 with the aim of improving the living conditions and the quality of life for the neediest categories of the rural society nationwide and contributing to advancing the level of daily services provided to citizens.

The “Haya Karima” project seeks to unify the efforts of all the state’s institutions in cooperation with the civil society, the private sector companies and the development partners inside and outside Egypt in the sustainable development field

The project also aims, through eliminating multi-dimensional poverty, to alleviate the burden shouldered by the citizens, especially the neediest families in the targeted villages and centers totaling 4,658 villages with total investments estimated at LE 700 billion.

This contributes to improving the life of more than half of the Egyptian population through setting an integrated developmental roadmap which its goals and axes are consistent with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

This comes through securing a comprehensive array of services and that include decent housing, health, education, culture, infrastructure, clean environment and productive communities to ensure sustainable development in the targeted villages and centers.

The project’s goals are advancing the economic, social and environmental levels of the neediest families in poor villages, empowering them to obtain all primary services, security job opportunities for these communities and maximizing their production capabilities in a way that ensures a decent life for them.

The project also aims at organizing the efforts of the civil society, enhancing the cooperation between civil society and all state institutions and encouraging local communities to participate in building human capabilities and boosting the value of the homeland.

 

 

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