Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said he is looking forward to the contribution of TICAD and other strategic partners of Africa to enhance joint efforts to reach aspired regional and economic integration in the continent.

The statements were made by El-Sisi in a message posted by the Japanese foreign ministry on its official website on Monday on the occasion of holding the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7 YOKOHAMA 2019) in Japan on 28-30 August.

El-Sisi stressed his belief that TICAD7 would continue to focus on Africa's needs and priorities and the use points of strength of its partners.

The TICAD has been, since its launch in 1993, one of the key forums of various partners supporting Africa and its development aspirations, the president said in his message.

El-Sisi said integration in Africa has been going on tangibly over the past two decades since the establishment of the African Union. The launching of the Africa Agenda 2063 and the Free Trade Zone in Africa are key milestones in African efforts to reach the aspired regional and economic integration in the continent, he added.

The AU has succeeded over the past years to formulate a number of targets on the Africa Agenda 2063 and give priority to development projects in Africa which help achieve sustainable development in the continent, he said.

He expressed his appreciation to the people and government of Japan for hosting the event and the organisers of the important meeting, particularly the African Union Commission, the World Bank and the UN Development Programme.

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