President Abdel Fattah El Sisi asserted on Monday the importance of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation in achieving mutual interests to face the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on global economic growth.

President Sisi’s assertions came while delivering a speech via videoconference during his participation in the newest edition of forum together with Chinese President Xi Jinping and African leaders, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

President Sisi said economic recovery needs enhancing trade and investment cooperation in a win-win way that serves the African peoples’ interests, including reduction of the accumulated debts and helping small and medium-scale enterprises to overcome the economic crisis.

Sisi affirmed the importance of coordination between Africa and China on issues related to peace and security to achieve Africa Agenda 2063 goals, saying he hopes that the Cairo-based Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Center of the African Union would be an example for cooperation with China in promoting security and stability across the continent.

The president affirmed the necessity of completing the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to achieve economic and trade integration among African nations, pointing to the importance of China’s effective partnership to implement this matter.

The president pointed out that Egypt, during its presidency of COMESA, would seek to achieve the free trade area by luring foreign investments and accomplishing integration between the African private sector and its counterparts in friendly countries.

Sisi asserted the need for benefitting from the lessons learned from the experience of countries that were successful to largely contain the coronavirus and transferring this experience to the most needy countries.

In this regard, the president lauded the Egyptian-Chinese cooperation in producing coronavirus vaccines, making Egypt the first African country to manufacture them.

Moreover, he underlined that climate change and its negative repercussions are a main challenge for Africa, renewing Egypt’s pledge to work with all parties concerned with climate action to back the developing countries to adapt to the climate crisis and find suitable funding for adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Source: State Information Service Egypt