14 August 2007…
Egypt is preparing for hosting a number of African and international conferences and summits during 2008 and 2009, one of which is the African-Chinese Forum, whose preliminary meeting will be held on the ministerial level between China and the African countries on September 26th, on the sidelines of the General Assembly meetings in New York.
In this context, Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, stated that hosting the forum in Egypt reflects the strong historical relations between Egypt and the African countries. He added that Egypt considers the Egyptian-African relations a foreign policy priority and relentlessly works on developing and promoting them, since President Mubarak's electoral program included specific directives to enhance ties with the African countries on all levels. These efforts were crowned by the participation of President Mubarak in the latest AU Summit, held in Accra in July 2007.
The Foreign Minister outlined that the Egyptian demarches in the African continent have witnessed obvious activity during the period from July 2006 to July 2007, since Egypt and the African countries exchanged around 44 official visits between African governmental officials and private sectors representatives and Egyptian Assistant Minister and representatives of the private sector. Aboul Gheit noted that Egypt received Chairman of the AU Commission, Professor Alpha Omar Konaré; COMESA Secretary-General, Erastus Mwencha; Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa; Commissioner of African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; in addition to a number of commissioners at the AU and COMESA Secretariats.
Aboul Gheit stated that during the same period Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs, and Secretary-General of the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa conducted more than 14 tours in Africa to emphasize the significance of all African countries to Egypt, and to support the Egyptian current and historical role in the continent, where Egypt acts as a mediator, endorses regional and international efforts to end tension spots in Africa, and enhances preemptive diplomacy, in addition to promoting commercial and economic relations.
The Foreign Minister stated that Egypt has a comprehensive foreign policy orientation in Africa since it works on both bilateral and multilateral tracks simultaneously through enhancing and promoting relations within the African blocs and institutions. Egypt has hosted more than 20 African ministerial conferences and meetings during 2006, within the framework of its membership in the African institutions and blocs, such as the AU, COMESA, CEN-SAD, and the Regional Center for Combating Disasters in Africa.
Aboul Gheit highlighted that the Egyptian efforts exerted throughout the last year are a continuation for the activities initiated several decades ago, where Egypt managed to initiate five initiatives in Africa in the fields of health, education, technology, media, and others. Egypt also participated in founding and launching the NEPAD Initiative, joined the African Peace and Security Council, Pan-African Parliament, and ratified all the agreements for establishing the African Union, and its bodies and institutions.