The Policy Planning and Crisis Management Department at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs launches the First Arab and African Partnership with Wilton Park, United Kingdom
2/7/2013
Cairo, Egypt, February 6th, 2013- The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Policy Planning and Crisis Management, signed today a Memorandum of Understanding with Wilton Park, Executive Agency of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK, establishing a partnership for convening discussion events on areas of strategic and common interest. This form of cooperation between the two parties reflects the insightful vision regarding the importance of informal venues of open dialogue and discussions exchanging views and ideas, which consequently assist in formulating policies that are creative, active and anticipatory, and facilitates as well common understanding for the promotion of peace, security, justice, and sustainability.
On the basis of this MoU, signed earlier today by Ambassador Dr. Walid M. Abdelnasser, Director General of the Policy Planning and Crisis Management Department at the Egyptian MOFA and Dr. Richard Burge, Chief Executive Officer of Wilton Park, and that came after several months of talks between the two sides, the two parties will cooperate to convene multiple events on diverse issues of strategic importance that include inter-alia; intercultural and infer-faith dialogue, future of Euro-Arab relations in light of the "Arab spring", sustainable development including climate change, global prosperity, new and renewable sources of energy, Euro-Mediterranean relations, cooperation in science, technology and R&D activities, conflict resolution, economic relations between north and south, trade and investment and transfer of technology, United Nations reform, role of regional and sub-regional organizations in global governance, global and regional security issues such as nuclear disarmament issues…etc.
This partnership comes as part of the Policy Planning and Crisis Management Department at the Egyptian MOFA's continuous efforts to expand its communication and liaison with various think tanks and research institutions worldwide. Reinforcing communication and engagement with academic institutions, think tanks and research centres forms an integral part of the operation of the Policy Planning and Crisis Management Department, in which it recognizes the vital role of new ideas, innovative thinking, and the informal and frank exchange of diverse opinion in formulating new and proactive policies that serves the Egyptian diplomacy.
Established 60 years ago by Winston Churchill, Wilton Park became an academically independent centre under the UK Foreign Office. Such institution brings representatives from the world of politics, diplomacy, academia, business, civil society, the military, and the media, with the purpose of fostering continuous discussion events and fora concerned with international dialogue, post-conflict reconciliation, and democracy building,