The ‘Egypt Can’ convention, a gathering of foreign-based Egyptian scientists at the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, started its first session on Wednesday in attendance of Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail.

The convention, which will continue for two days, is attended by prominent Egyptian scientists including Farouk El-Baz as well as and world-renowned surgeon Magdi Yacoub.

The opening session started with a moment of silence for the 25 victims of last Sunday’s Cairo church bombing, with the Prime Minister saying that such attacks will only increase the nation's determination to eliminate terrorism.

The PM conveyed President's Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's regards to the attendees, stressing Egypt's need for the scientific expertise and efforts of all its sons to overcome the threats and obstacles faced by the country.

Ismail also stated that Egypt's youth are the key factor in combating extremism and violent ideologies in the country, and stressed the government's commitment to working on boosting the employment rate in the upcoming period.

Ismail also talked of the mega projects undertaken by the government, such as the Suez Canal Axis development project, which aims to create thousands of job opportunities for Egyptian youth and improve living standards for Egyptians.