FILE: The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry
CAIRO – 27 January 2018: Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry held several meetings with his African counterparts at 30th African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa; the Palestinian issue was the most important issue discussed by foreign ministers.
On January 25, Shoukry held bilateral meetings with his Gabon, Angola, Malawi and Côte d'Ivoire counterparts; stressed the importance of African countries' commitment to the decision of the African Union to support the rights of the Palestinian people.
The meetings also addressed the deep historical relations between the countries and the need to protect them from any frictions.
According to statement issued by the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Abu Zeid, Shoukry started the meetings by discussing ways to enhance bilateral relations, noting that there are several prospects for cooperation in various fields, especially in the field of trade and economic exchanges.
Moreover, Shoukry congratulated Amon-Tanoh on the selection of Côte d'Ivoire to be a non-permanent member at the UN Security Council during 2018-2019, expressing Cairo readiness to offer its experience to the West African country in this regard, Abu Zeid noted.
On January 26, Shoukry also held bilateral meetings with his Mali, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Kenya counterparts, he reviewed Egypt's efforts in combating terrorism and supporting the Palestinian cause, pointing out that the African countries should abide by the African position that supports the rights of the Palestinian people.
The African foreign ministers referred to the historical relations between themselves and Egypt, expressing interest in developing and strengthening relations with Egypt in various fields. They also expressed their interest in cooperation in the areas of information exchange, counter-terrorism and organized crime prevention.
During the meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Shoukry stressed the patriotic responsibility of the media in the two countries, and the necessity of not paying attention to any rumors or wrong information that may harm bilateral relations.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry (L) with Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Ghandour (R) on the sidelines of his participation in the Executive Council meetings of the 30th AU Summit in Addis Ababa on Jan. 26, 2018
A tripartite meeting between leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan was also held on the sidelines of the 30th African Union Summit to resume halted talks by the tripartite technical committee on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister headed to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa Jan 24 to participate in the AU summit and to lead the Peace and Security Council meeting.
According to an official statement issued on Jan 24, ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Shoukry would first participate in the summit’s preparatory meetings on January 22 and 23, then take part in the 23rd ordinary session of the executive council at the level of foreign ministers on January 25 and 26, and finally in the 30th AU summit at the level of leaders and heads of state on January 28 and 29.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi arrived on Saturday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa to participate in the 30st African Union (AU) summit which will begin on Sunday for two days.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi arrived on Saturday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa to participate in the 30st African Union (AU) summit which will begin on Sunday for two days.- Screen Shot from ON live
Sisi’s participation at the African Summit is the evidence of Egypt's keenness to strengthen and develop relations with all countries.
This year’s AU summit will be titled “Winning the fight against corruption: a sustainable approach to Africa's transformation”. This title is considered as the AU’s slogan for 2018, according to Abu Zeid.
The AU is an international organization consisting of 55 African countries, established on July 9, 2002.
Comments
Leave a Comment