Egypt: Launch of the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting
President Sisi stresses the importance of African integration and water resource management at the Alamein meeting
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Cairo, Oct 4 (KUNA) -- The eighth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union and regional economic communities kicked off today, Sunday, in New Alamein, Egypt.
In his opening address, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi emphasized the centrality of coordination among member states, the African Union Commission, and various regional economic communities and mechanisms, noting that such cooperation contributes to enhancing sustainable development efforts across the continent.
El-Sisi stated that Africa has the capacity to transform the impacts of conflicts into development opportunities, turn its challenges into drivers of growth, and move beyond merely managing crises to building its own capacities for reconstruction and recovery from the effects of conflicts.
He reaffirmed the continent’s firm stance rejecting any external interference in the internal affairs of African countries and calling for respect for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of states, which he described as indispensable principles for continental stability. He stressed that “the relations among our countries must be based on mutual respect, good neighborliness, dialogue, and consultation, free from unilateral policies or narrow interests.”
He underscored the importance of addressing cross-border issues as matters requiring cooperation rather than competition, and dialogue rather than confrontation, including the management and use of natural resources and transboundary rivers in accordance with international law.
The Egyptian president said, “The integration we seek is not limited to the economic dimension. Sustainable management of shared resources, particularly water, represents a true test of our ability to integrate and transform overlapping interests into opportunities for cooperation.”
He added that Egypt appreciates the selection of “ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems” as the theme for the African Union in 2026, as well as the adoption of the Africa Water Vision and Policy 2063.
He affirmed that “every country has the right to development and to benefit from its natural resources; however, this right must be exercised responsibly so as not to harm other countries.”
El-Sisi called for the full activation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which entered into force in 2019 during Egypt’s presidency of the African Union, thereby paving the way for building a genuine African market that leverages the continent’s vast productive capacities, increases intra-African trade, supports industrialization, facilitates technology transfer, and creates more jobs.
For his part, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current chair of the African Union, stressed in his speech that enhancing joint action, unity, stability, and integration is a priority for realizing the aspirations of the African continent. He praised the steps taken by African countries in cooperation with the Commission, regional economic communities, and regional mechanisms, noting that these efforts were carried out within an atmosphere of trust, consensus, and joint action.
On his part, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf emphasized in his address that the global geopolitical context is undergoing numerous changes and tensions that affect the African continent and regional integration. He pointed out that institutional obstacles hinder efforts toward continental and regional integration.
Youssouf explained that the success of regional integration is contingent upon economic convergence among African countries, clarifying that the Africa 2063 Agenda requires a national and regional policy framework regarding continental standards for the AfCFTA. He stressed the need to enhance collaboration among various stakeholders to implement projects on the 2063 Agenda, highlighting the necessity of securing funding for these initiatives.
The meeting brought together African leaders, members of the African Union Bureau for the current year, and heads of regional economic communities and African regional mechanisms to discuss progress on the African Union’s 2026 main theme: “Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.”
The discussions also covered recent developments in continental efforts to enhance coordination and integration among regional economic communities in Africa, advance the institutional development pathways of the African Union, and activate the African Continental Free Trade Area. (End) A.S.M. / S.M.A.
