Egyptian President: Continental integration has become a strategic choice and urgent necessity to overcome current challenges
President Sisi affirms that continental integration is a strategic necessity at the African Union meeting in New Alamein
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Cairo, Oct 4 (KUNA) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reaffirmed his country’s full commitment to working and cooperating jointly with African nations to achieve a safe, stable, and prosperous Africa, noting that continental integration has become a strategic choice and an urgent necessity to overcome current challenges. This was stated in President el-Sisi’s address today, Sunday, during the closing session of the eighth African Union Coordination Meeting held in the new city of Alamein.
President el-Sisi welcomed all participants in the meeting, praising the distinctive perspectives presented, which reflect the outcomes of sustained efforts to strengthen cooperation, integration, and unity frameworks across the African continent, thereby realizing the aspirations of its peoples and the objectives of Agenda 2063.
He said that the meeting’s discussions underscored the scale of achievements accomplished and the initiatives aimed at realizing continental integration and unity, as well as developing coordination frameworks between the African Union, regional economic communities, and regional mechanisms. He added that the discussions also highlighted the gravity of current challenges, which necessitate concerted efforts and continued joint work and cooperation, emphasizing that continental integration has become a strategic choice and an urgent necessity to surmount these obstacles, based on a firm belief in shared destiny and purpose.
President el-Sisi affirmed that the final declaration issued by the meeting provides a clear roadmap to advance regional and continental integration efforts, stressing the importance of accelerating the pace of economic and trade integration through the full activation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
He pointed to the importance of enhancing efforts to build supply chains and logistics corridors, and to develop and interconnect transport and energy networks, noting the need to provide sustainable and innovative financing for development programs and projects in cooperation with continental financial institutions.
He stressed the importance of linking sustainable development, economic growth, peace, and security on the continent, explaining that this requires strengthening conflict prevention efforts, developing an early warning mechanism, and consolidating reconstruction and development efforts in the post-conflict phase.
In this context, he emphasized the importance of maximizing and activating the role of the African Union’s Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development in Cairo, and increasing its allocated budget to enable it to carry out its work more effectively.
President el-Sisi said that this gathering represents an important opportunity for leaders to hear the private sector’s views on ways to support and activate efforts toward economic and trade integration on the continent, and to make optimal use of Africa’s abundant human and natural resources and promising investment opportunities.
He highlighted the importance of engaging with the private sector’s proposals regarding a legal and regulatory environment that is attractive and conducive to investment. (End) A.F.F / A.M.H
