Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Kenya Appreciates Egypt's Efforts to Resolve African Issues


Sat 15 Jul 2023 | 02:17 PM
By Ahmad El-Assasy

Wael Nasr El Din Attia, the Egyptian Ambassador to Nairobi, stated that Kenya appreciates the great efforts made by Egypt to resolve outstanding issues in the African continent, especially those related to finding a solution to the crisis in Sudan.

In a statement to the Middle East News Agency on Saturday, Ambassador Wael Nasr El Din, on the sidelines of the "5th Mid-Year Coordination Summit of the African Union" to be held in Nairobi on Sunday, with the participation of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, emphasized that Kenya also values Cairo's invitation to neighboring countries of Sudan to share their opinions and discuss ways to end the bloodshed and restore security and stability to this sisterly country.

The Egyptian ambassador also highlighted the friendly relations between Cairo and Nairobi, in light of the common visions and interests between the two countries, amid regional and international conditions of extreme turbulence that require concerted efforts and the unification of the African front, also confirming the two countries' keenness to open up prospects for cooperation that achieve a qualitative leap in bilateral relations.

He pointed out the intensive communication between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Kenyan President William Ruto regarding a number of topics of mutual interest, including the situation in Sudan and Somalia, revealing continuous Egyptian coordination with all countries concerned with the Sudanese crisis, including the eight-member Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and South Sudan).

The Egyptian ambassador also mentioned that President El-Sisi and President William Ruto met on the sidelines of the 22nd COMESA Summit in Lusaka, Zambia last June, as well as their meeting in Paris during the "New Global Financing Charter" international summit in the same month, which gave strong impetus to bilateral relations between the two countries.

He emphasized the continuation of this bilateral coordination and intensive discussions between the two leaders during President El-Sisi's expected visit to Nairobi to participate in the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Summit of the African Union, the regional economic groups, regional mechanisms, and member states of the African Union, which will be held on Sunday under the slogan "Accelerating the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area".

Ambassador Wael Nasr El Din shed light on the distinguished Egyptian-Kenyan relations, especially in light of the convergence of interests and common concerns, highlighting the agreement between the two countries on dealing with climate issues during Egypt's presidency of the COP27 conference in Sharm El Sheikh last November, with a focus on Africa, while Kenya chairs the African Heads of State and Government Committee on Climate Change.

He stressed that Egyptian-African relations are witnessing their best periods under the era of President El-Sisi, as Egypt helps in resolving conflicting issues on the continent through its efforts and diplomacy, and is keen to participate in high-level African summits, as well as supporting the requirements and aspirations of African peoples towards development.

Ambassador Wael Nasr El Din also spoke about the promising future of the African continent in light of the formation of a global system that seeks new and renewable sources of energy, at a time when our continent has great capabilities in this field.

He expressed his belief that the growing global interest in environmental issues, in light of the trend of many countries towards achieving zero carbon emissions to confront the phenomenon of global warming and climate change, will give Africa an important role within the new global and economic system.