FM: Egypt ready to cooperate with int'l community to host center for grain supply, storage

CAIRO – 13 January 2023: Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has affirmed Egypt’s readiness to cooperate with the international community to host a global center for supply and storage of grains in order to face the global food crisis.

This came in a speech via videoconference on Friday during the Voice of Global South summit, which is held under India's presidency of the G20, a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

During his speech, Shoukry shed light on the challenges that the countries of the Global South are facing due to the successive crises, especially COVID-19 pandemic, food supply chain and food security crises and climate change.

Shoukry called for adopting a comprehensive approach to deal with such challenges and to reach common and effective solutions to them.

He also affirmed the need for the G20 in providing the necessary impetus for the reformulation of the international economic system so that it effectively responds to the challenges facing these countries.

The Egyptian minister also stressed Egypt's commitment to engage in the discussions and initiatives that would be put forward within the framework of the G20 in order to reach consensus on the current serious challenges.

Shoukry called on the G20 to take the initiative in obligating development partners to secure the necessary support to the countries of the Global South to recover in the short term and deal with their development needs in the long term.

Shoukry also reviewed the role played by Egypt in making strong and unprecedented commitments under the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), held in Sharm El Sheikh last November.

The foreign minister also stressed the importance of ensuring access of all countries to energy, saying the energy transition cannot be achieved unless adequate financing is provided and technology is transferred to developing countries.

Shoukry further shed light on the Global Renewable Hydrogen Forum that Egypt launched during the climate conference, highlighting the trade opportunities that the forum can provide between developing and developed countries.

Egypt has been participating in the G20 Summit activities as a guest country as per an invitation by India last November.