Sisi highlights Africa’s development needs in roundtable

CAIRO – 13 June 2017: Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi participated on Monday in a roundtable discussion held by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin and attended by presidents of African states, the head of the African Union Commission, the African Bank president, and CEOs of German companies.

The presidency’s spokesperson, Alaa Youssef, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that talks covered possible mechanisms to develop and modernize infrastructure in Africa, to finance such projects, and to attract investors to that sector highlighting the successful experiences in Africa.

Merkel stated in the session titled Investing in African Countries' Infrastructure that political leaders play a pivotal role in facilitating cooperation between the private and the public sectors praising the Egyptian president’s role in negotiations between Siemens and Egyptian state institutions to build three large power stations.

The president stressed that the African continent has the qualifications to achieve unprecedented development and economic growth as long as the necessary funding is available, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Sisi said that Africa needs roads and railway networks to connect different parts of the continent together, and called on international funding organizations and developed countries to grant soft loans to African states to finance these projects.

Sisi concluded by asking developed countries to put into effect their obligations set in the Paris Accords (climate change agreement) by cooperating in the execution of renewable energy projects in Africa.

On Monday, Sisi headed to Germany to attend the G20 summit.