Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry has said that Egypt supports African capabilities to confront terrorism. Shoukry also said that the second edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development proves Egypt’s belief in the importance of continued African cooperation.
This comes particularly in light of the exceptional circumstances currently experienced by the international community in the form of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
In his speech during the Forum’s opening, Shoukry expressed his gratitude that the forum could be convened. He noted that a number of priority issues will be discussed, including: climate change; the fight against COVID-19; development efforts; infrastructure projects; and areas of creativity and culture that contribute to the fight against extremism.
Shoukry said that Egypt believes in the importance of joint work on the African continent and that “the country’s political leadership is keen to promote peace and development in Africa.”
He pointed out that the continent aspires to its legitimate rights to life and development, pointing to Egypt’s contribution to great efforts to achieve peace. These are an essential pillar for achieving peace on the continent.
Shoukry said that the Aswan Forum focuses on how to deal with the challenges posed by the coronavirus, under the title “Shaping the vision of the new African reality and a stronger recovery and a new building”.
During his speech, the minister added that Egypt seeks to focus on innovative solutions to overcome the challenges and employ recovery actions to achieve the goals of the recovery agenda and Africa’s Sustainable Development Agenda for 2063.
Shoukry pointed out that the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges that require reconsideration of traditional security concepts.
He said that at the same time, the pandemic has contributed to exacerbating the traditional challenges facing the continent such as the growing role of terrorist groups and forced migration.
The minister added that the economic and social conditions experienced by the African continent require strengthening Africa’s capacity to face the current security challenges.
Other challenges Africa is facing include terrorism, the presence of foreign terrorist fighters, and the continued illegal flow of weapons. These run in parallel with the increase of transnational organised crime activities.
The second Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, titled “Shaping a vision for the new African reality”, kicked off on Monday and will last for five days. It aims to address a stronger recovery, better building, and challenges facing the African continent.
