Arab world witnessing radical changes

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Friday that the Arab World is witnessing radical changes and facing grave challenges at the political, economic and security levels.

The world community should act together to face those challenges, Sisi told the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa meant to outline a regional framework for prosperity and peace through cooperation between the private and public sectors.

He pressed for action to determine reasons behind such challenges and find ways to overcome them in order to help achieve aspirations of the Arab peoples to achieve development and prosperity.

This should be done through close cooperation between governments, the private sector and NGOs, Sisi told the conference held in Jordan under the auspices of King Abdullah II.

"You might agree with me that the nature of those changes in the region cannot possibly be understood through foreign views or preconceived ideas," Sisi told the conference.

Parties inside and outside the region should thus not be allowed to make use of hectic conditions that prevail during this phase of changes with the aim to impose certain visions on countries in the region, Sisi said.

"It is peoples who alone make the present through their will and awareness. The future is for youth and only them will define its features through their aspirations and skills".

The Egyptian president pressed for enhancing the role of youth, noting this has become a matter of grave importance and not "out of luxury".

This is particularly important in countries whose communities are made up mostly of youth, Sisi said. Youth, he added, are the momentum that should be invested and directed to the right path to be able to benefit from them in activating production and achieving development.

According to Sisi, creating jobs and increasing employment rates are key to protecting those youth and investing their energy.

Neglecting this vital segment, youth, will make them fall victim to extremism and terrorism, Sisi said.

Most of the youth are very good at using social networking through which radical ideas are promoted, he noted.

This problem should be addressed by governments in cooperation with the private sector. "We are all in the same boat and only through cooperation and integration between governments and private institutions could prosperity, which we all aspire for, be achieved and peace and stability prevail."

Sisi also touched upon cross-border threats, warning that no party has the luxury of negligence.

Sisi blamed the radical religious rhetoric on pessimism, depression and receding justice values.

It is important that efforts to eliminate terrorism and extremism go hand in hand with attempts to create a future full of freedom, equality and pluralism, Sisi said.

This should also run parallel to efforts to reduce poverty, he noted.

"We have faced this threat of imposing unilateral views and excluding opponents in Egypt, but our people were able to ... courageously face violence to secure the future of coming generations."

He pointed to an Egyptian demographic plan until 2050 to make use of energies and skills of youth.

Indeed, the government in Egypt has been working to implement serious and ambitious projects to make use of those energies, Sisi said.

He particularly mentioned mega development projects, such as the New Suez Canal, which will achieve an economic quantum leap at the national and international levels.

Sisi also talked about a comprehensive development plan until 2030 meant to attract investments and create an investment-friendly climate in Egypt.

Truly, Egypt has achieved a tangible economic improvement, Sisi acknowledged, citing reports of international economic and financial institutions to that effect.

Sisi reiterated commitment to fully implementing the future roadmap agreed after the June 30 Revolution, which should be completed after parliamentary elections are held.

Sisi also said that Egypt will be hosting the upcoming international economic forum on the Middle East and North Africa in May 2016 and invited all participants in this conference to attend the event.

"I am looking forward to meeting you again in Egypt and I welcome you all as dear guests and loyal partners".
Source: MENA