Prolonged Sudan, Gaza conflicts reveal int’l community failures: Egypt FM at TICAD meeting

Ahram Online , Saturday 24 Aug 2024

Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty stressed Saturday at the opening session of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) ministerial meeting that the prolonged conflicts in Sudan and Gaza revealed the international community's failure or unwillingness to intervene effectively.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty speaks during the opening session of the 9th Tokyo Intern
Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty speaks during the opening session of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) ministerial meeting in Tokyo, 24 August, 2024. Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry

 

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, Abdelatty noted that the current methods are either ineffective or inadequate to address the successive, complicated challenges facing the global community.

Egypt's FM also emphasized the necessity to discuss strategies to tackle the current risks and threats to peace and security, not just in Africa but globally, calling for urgent and comprehensive reforms to the international peace and security framework.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's commitment to the post-conflict reconstruction and development agenda in Africa and its role in enhancing the relationship between peace and development as the most effective tool for preventing conflicts.

He further emphasized the significance of the African Union (AU) partnerships, including that with TICAD, as key instruments for achieving these goals.

Japanese officials
 

During his visit, Abdelatty held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yōko Kamikawa, where both sides held political discussions on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

He also held an official luncheon with the Egypt-Japan Business Council, meeting with prominent members of the Egyptian community in Tokyo.

Moreover, Abdelatty held separate meetings with high-level officials, including Japan's Minister for Digital Transformation Taro Kono, Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, and Rector of the United Nations (UN) University in Tokyo Tshilidzi Marwala.

During his meeting with the CEO of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Norihiko Ishiguro, the Egyptian FM emphasized the importance of holding an Egyptian-Japanese investment conference to enhance economic cooperation between the two sides.

For his part, the JETRO CEO welcomed the proposal and committed to studying it, noting JETRO's significant interest in deepening its investment and trade relations with Egypt.

Abdelatty also welcomed the JETRO's second exploratory visit to Egypt next month, which aims to explore Japanese investment opportunities in green hydrogen and renewable energy.

He mentioned that JETRO's move reflects Japan's interest and seriousness in taking concrete steps to enhance its investments in Egypt.

African counterparts
 

Abdelatty also met with several African counterparts, from Senegal, Togo, Benin, Somalia, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Comoros, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.

On Friday, Abdelatty arrived in Tokyo to attend the TICAD ministerial meeting, in preparation for the 9th TICAD summit, scheduled for August 2025 in Yokohama under the theme "Partnering for Innovative Solutions with Africa."

Since 1993, Japan has been leading this high-level international conference to promote African development, co-organized by the UN, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the African Union Commission (AUC).

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