CAIRO – 10 November 2023: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated Egypt's call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and full access to humanitarian and relief aid.
He also underlined Egypt's total rejection of the Israeli forced displacement of Gaza residents, stressing the need to kickstart a political path based on the two-state solution, which is the only way out of the current crisis.
Shoukry's remarks came during a speech that he delievered at the first Saudi-Africa summit held in Riyadh on Friday.
In his speech, the foreign minister highlighted the dangerous humanitarian situation in Gaza, as a result of Israel's unprecedented use of military force and policies of collective punishment, as well as its starvation and siege measures against the enclave's residents.
He stated Egypt seriously responds to all political, security and development challenges in Africa and defends African states' interests in all forums.
In this regard, Shoukry said Egypt seeks through its current presidency of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) to consider all possible ways to achieve the aspirations of African peoples and implement the goals of the AU's Agenda 2063.
The foreign minister added Egypt spares no effort to contribute to carrying out promising projects in African countries, citing the Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Power Project dam in Tanzania.
He went on to say that Egypt has been calling on the international community to deal more effectively with the economic challenges facing the African continent, the most important of which is the need to establish mechanisms to reduce the burden of debt and the need to reform international financial institutions to be more reflective of the needs of African countries.
Shoukry emphasized the importance of intensifying investments in industrial transformation and enhancing agricultural productivity in a way that prevents the exploitation of African states' natural resources, as well as maintaining the openness of trade movement by taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This summit reflects the keenness of Saudi Arabia and African states to mutually benefit from their economic capabilities, Shoukry concluded.
Comments
Leave a Comment