Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi headed Egypt’s delegation, representing President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, at the opening of the 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The summit brought together leaders and government representatives from the organisation’s 90 member countries.
The opening ceremony was attended by King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, French President Emmanuel Macron, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and OIF Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo.
Held under the theme “Investing in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Lasting Stability”, the summit underscores the importance of strengthening cooperation and solidarity among member countries and intensifying joint efforts to promote peace, stability and sustainable development.
During the summit, Cambodia assumed the organisation’s rotating presidency from France for a two-year term, extending until the next summit in 2028.
Badawi is participating in the summit’s thematic plenary and closed sessions over its two days, presenting Egypt’s positions on the issues under discussion, efforts to promote peace and stability, and initiatives to support sustainable development.
He is also highlighting the importance of making greater use of cooperation mechanisms and joint initiatives within the OIF framework.
Badawi holds talks with international leaders
On the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Badawi held a series of meetings and informal discussions with heads of state and government and senior officials attending the summit. He was accompanied by Egypt’s Ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia, Hala Youssef.
The discussions focused on bilateral relations and opportunities to expand cooperation, particularly in the oil, gas and energy sectors.
During his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Badawi conveyed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s greetings and reaffirmed the strength of Egyptian-French relations, highlighting the longstanding partnership and close cooperation between the two countries across various fields.
The meeting also addressed the importance of maintaining coordination and consultations between Egypt and France, expanding bilateral cooperation and making use of the frameworks available through the OIF to promote dialogue and cooperation among member countries.
Badawi also met Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Morocco’s Head of Government, to discuss the longstanding historical and fraternal ties between Egypt and Morocco.
The two sides explored ways to build on existing cooperation and strengthen partnerships across various sectors, particularly energy, oil and gas.
In a separate meeting, Badawi held talks with Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs. Discussions covered the strong relations between the two countries, opportunities to expand economic cooperation and prospects for collaboration in energy, oil and gas.
The minister also met OIF Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo to discuss cooperation between Egypt and the organisation, as well as Egypt’s active role in supporting joint initiatives that advance the OIF’s objectives and address the aspirations of its member countries.
Badawi also met Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on the sidelines of the summit.
Egypt participates in summit deliberations
Following the opening ceremony, Badawi, heading Egypt’s delegation on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, participated in a session of the 20th OIF Summit alongside leaders and government representatives from member countries.
The session reviewed the outcomes of the organisation’s ministerial conference and discussed the Secretary-General’s report, as well as the main issues and topics on the summit’s agenda. Discussions focused on strengthening coordination and consultations among member countries on matters of common interest.
Egypt’s participation in the summit reflects its commitment to maintaining an active role within the OIF, strengthening relations with member countries and expanding cooperation in political, economic and investment fields to advance shared interests and create new partnership opportunities.
Further talks focus on African energy cooperation
On the sidelines of the summit, Badawi held additional bilateral meetings with senior officials, including Gabonese Foreign Minister Marie-Edith Tassyla.
The two sides discussed ways to advance bilateral relations and broaden cooperation, particularly in oil, natural gas and mining, while exploring opportunities to strengthen partnerships between the two countries in these sectors.
Badawi also met Morissanda Kouyaté, Guinea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, African Integration and Guineans Abroad.
Their discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between Egypt and Guinea and developing areas of joint engagement to serve their mutual interests.
The Petroleum Minister also held a further meeting with Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs.
The two sides discussed opportunities to develop economic and investment relations, exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and explored prospects for cooperation in energy, oil and natural gas.
