Egypt & Africa
First Session of the Joint Commission between Egypt and the Comoros Convened to Boost Bilateral Cooperation in Various Fields
Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates, chaired the first session of the Joint Commission between Egypt and the Comoros on Sunday, May 24.
Also attended the session Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Mr. Mohamed Mbae, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of the Comoros.
This meeting reflects the shared keenness to bolstering bilateral relations and advancing cooperation frameworks between the two countries in various fields.
Minister Abdelatty valued the deep-rooted historical ties between Egypt and the Comoros, and affirmed Egypt’s keenness to supporting the Comoros across various sectors, in addition to the participation of Egyptian companies in implementing the “Emerging Comoros Plan 2030″.
In this context, he highlighted the importance of building upon existing cooperation in vital sectors, particularly education, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, and construction.
Dr. Abdelatty also underscored the necessity of fostering economic cooperation and increasing Egyptian investments in the Comoros in order to contribute to economic integration between the two countries.
He noted the Egyptian companies’ eagerness to contribute to upgrading the infrastructure and sports facilities in preparation for the Comoros’ hosting of the Indian Ocean Island Games next year.
The Foreign Minister further emphasized the necessity of maintaining joint action towards increasing the volume of economic and trade exchange between the two countries.
He highlighted the importance of leveraging the facilities and opportunities provided by COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area for this purpose.
Dr. Abdelatty noted that it is crucial to establish logistics zones in both countries to facilitate trade and the movement of goods.
In this regard, he expressed Egypt’s readiness to support Comorian efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development through the transfer of Egyptian expertise and capacity-building and training programs, including courses organized by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, in addition to educational scholarships offered by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and the Ministry of Higher Education.
Minister Abdelatty also reviewed the preparations underway for convening El Alamein- Africa Forum, scheduled to be held next month on the sidelines of the African Union’s 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting and El Alamein-Africa Forum.
Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, reiterated keenness to further strengthening cooperation with the Comoros in the fields of higher education, scientific research, and capacity-building.
In this regard, he noted the readiness of Egyptian educational institutions and universities to expand academic and scientific cooperation with the Comorian side, thereby contributing to qualifying national cadres and supporting human development efforts, based on Egypt’s expertise and potential in education, training, and scientific research.
For his part, Mr. Mohamed Mbae, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of the Comoros, expressed his country’s appreciation for the remarkable progress witnessed at the level of bilateral relations with Egypt.
He praised Egypt’s support for the Comoros in various developmental, educational, and capacity-building fields, and affirmed his country’s aspiration to build upon the outcomes of the Joint Commission in a manner that bolsters the bilateral partnership and fulfills the aspirations of the two peoples for greater development and prosperity.
The Commission’s proceedings witnessed the signing of a number of documents and memoranda of understanding, including a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of technical education, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of higher education, and a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of diplomatic training, in addition to the signing of the session’s minutes and final statement, which reflects both sides’ keenness on creating an integrated institutional framework to advance bilateral cooperation across various fields.
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