Necessity of achieving development

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Wednesday underlined the necessity of achieving sustainable development and improving the living conditions of Arab and African peoples.

The remark was made in his speech at fourth Arab-African Summit that kicked off here earlier on the day.

He added that current trans-border challenges require pooling together all regional and international efforts for addressing these challenges. The crisis of refugees and illegal migration along with the activities of trans-border organized crime of drug smuggling and human trafficking and the spread of heinous terrorist organizations are clear examples of these challenges.

"Therefore it was very important to enhance cooperation among our countries and support the system of exchanging experience for defending the interests of our countries and their independence", added the president.

"Past experiences showed that the deterioration of international peace and security and the challenges of poverty and slow development rates are associated, said the president, adding that this state of affairs requires us to address these challenges from a comprehensive perspective", said the president.

Out of this premise, Egypt is placing security and stability in the Arab and African countries on top of the priorities of its foreign policy, said the president, adding that Egypt holds that peace is the cornerstone for achieving sustainable development and prosperity.

President Sisi asserted that Egypt will maintain its efforts for supporting Arab and African economic cooperation and development programs. "Achieving this goal requires removing hindrances to the movement of trade and enhancing our ability to tap regional and international markets along with attaining industrial development", he pointed out.

He underlined on this score Egyptian efforts for upgrading the Suez Canal zone with a view to setting up an exclusive economic zone benefiting both the Arab and African regions.

The zone, added the president, includes several commercial and logistical centers and ports that will hopefully help increase joint trade exchange.

The president expressed hope for implementing a proposal he had put forth at Kuwait summit on setting up a network for coordination among Arab and African development funds and finance mechanisms. The proposal is aimed at maximizing the benefit from assistance offered by these funds and mechanisms, said the president.

Egypt will be glad to host the first meeting of the network for outlining the bases for cooperation by the various Arab and African funds and mechanisms, added the president.

Source: MENA