Sisi: Egypt eyes effective African role in UN reform

ADDIS ABABA – 9 February 2019: Egypt is looking forward to a quantum leap in the strategic partnership between the African Union (AU) and the UN during Egypt's presidency of the AU, especially in promoting peace, security and development, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said on Saturday.

The president gave his remarks during his meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Addis Ababa, ahead of the 32nd AU Summit, slated for February 10-11.

During the meeting, Sisi reviewed Egypt's envisioned priorities and objectives planned to be integrated into the AU's framework during Egypt's chairmanship of the AU, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

Basically, these objectives include achieving further progress on the UN and African development agendas for Africa, pushing forward regional integration projects, settling and preventing conflicts, promoting peace and security and enhancing Africa's ability to establish peace and stability in the continent, Rady added.

Sisi emphasized the need for international cooperation to support the reform process within the UN. He also attached importance to the effective participation of the African side in this process.

The meeting also took the latest developments at the regional level, especially the situation in Libya and the Horn of Africa, Rady noted.

For his part, Guterres congratulated the president on assuming the presidency of the AU, noting that the UN is reliant on Cairo's efforts to promote cooperation between both organizations, the spokesman added