Sisi, AU Commission chief talk enhancing joint African work

CAIRO – 23 October 2019: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday met with Chairperson of African Union Commission Moussa Faki, on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Forum in Sochi, Russia held on October 23-24.

Sisi arrived in Sochi on Tuesday to attend the forum, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Faki affirmed the importance of the Egyptian role in the African continent, as it has been among the countries that contributed to the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said.

He also praised Egypt’s success to enhance the development efforts in Africa during its presidency of the African Union this year, in light of the challenges currently witnessed by the continent.

Faki expressed his keenness to attend the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development next December, as it would represent an important platform for dialogue and political and developmental interaction among leaders, decision makers, and experts from Africa and other continents.

Sisi, for his part, expressed Egypt's keenness to continue close cooperation and coordination with the African Union Commission to advance African joint action in various fields during the Egyptian chairmanship of the AU, in a way that serves the interests of the African continent.

The president also highlighted the importance of cooperation to achieve remarkable development in the fields that constitute a priority in the AU’s agenda, including economic and regional integration, peace and security, institutional reform of the Union, and cooperation with international partners.

Sisi also called for working on fostering the efforts of the AU to prevent conflicts and activate its policy for post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts, within the framework of a comprehensive approach based on development.

The meeting also addressed the updates of a number of issues in the continent, including conflicts, and discussed the efforts to politically settle them. The topics included the Libyan issue.

The Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum is held at the Sochi Olympic Park Main Media Centre and is co-chaired by Putin, and Sisi, as the chairman of the African Union.

During the summit in Sochi, Putin said that Egypt and Russia cooperate in fighting against terrorism. The Russian president also referred to the trade cooperation between the two countries, the construction of the Russian Industrial Zone in Egypt, and the establishment of the Dabaa nuclear plant.