Midrand: Personal representative of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to the African Union Development Agency (NEPAD) and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Organizations and Groupings Ashraf Sweilem chaired Thursday the agency’s 70th Steering Committee meetings. The meetings were held in Midrand, South Africa, as part of ongoing preparations for the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Summit, to be chaired by President Sisi in January, followed by the African Union Summit in February 2025.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meetings reviewed several continental and regional infrastructure projects, including the navigation link between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Victoria, as well as the Cairo-Cape Town road project. The meeting also addressed the agency’s role in enhancing national capacities in agriculture, industry, climate change adaptation, human development, science, technology, and innovation.

The committee reviewed the agency’s financial status and the efforts of its S
ecretariat to secure funding for its projects, including the peace, security, and development link project, hosted by the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding, in collaboration with the AU Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development Center, which is hosted by Cairo. The meeting also discussed the current status of launching the NEPAD African Center of Excellence for Climate Resilience and Adaptation, hosted by Cairo.