Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry welcomed on May 8 a delegation of senior African journalists and media representatives in the framework of the workshop organized by the Foreign Ministry's Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development in cooperation with the Chamber of Media under the title "The Future of Media in Africa and the Exchange of Different Experiences" during the period from February 27 to March 13, 2017.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry started the meeting by welcoming the members of the delegation, referring to the media's important role in shaping public awareness and opinion and in exercising a supervisory role to ensure achieving development goals and good governance in society.
The spokesperson added that the Foreign Minister explained that one of the main objectives of the workshop is to achieve communication between the members of the delegation and their Egyptian counterparts, and to discuss ways to develop relations between Egypt and its African brothers, especially in the fields of training, transfer of expertise and building cadres. The Foreign Minister stressed the historic relations between Egypt and African countries that go back for centuries, and which in the modern era witnessed Egypt's full support for its African brothers during their struggles for national liberation as well as Egypt's efforts in the wake of the revolutions of January 25 and June 30 to develop closer ties with African countries, both at the bilateral level and in the framework of the African Union.
The spokesperson said that Shoukry stressed during the meeting that Africa is the continent of the future with its resources and its young people, and that cooperation with the African brothers to achieve the aspirations of the peoples of the continent for development and prosperity is one of the priorities of Egypt's foreign policy, which always seeks to emphasize the importance of solidarity between the peoples of the continent -- both at the political and economic levels in support of the political independence of the countries of the continent. The Foreign Minister added that the Egyptian vision also encompasses issues that are priorities for the African continent, such as the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration, through a comprehensive approach that addresses the roots of these problems. The vision also takes into account the obstacles facing the continent in its journey towards development and ways to overcome them, especially the importance of developing education and infrastructure, increasing investment and achieving security and stability throughout the continent.
On their part, the members of the delegation were keen to hear Egypt's position on a number of the continent's issues, especially the Nile Basin countries initiative and the tripartite negotiations on the Renaissance Dam, the Libyan crisis, and the restoration of Egypt's role in resolving conflicts across the continent.