Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has called for implementation of programmes to achieve integration without obstacles between Arab and African nations. The president was speaking at the Arab and African Youth Forum in Aswan during a session entitled “Nile Valley: The Pathway for Arab and African Integration." He said that Egypt is always ready to cooperate with all Arab and African countries, and not only with its brotherly neighbour Sudan. He spoke about the importance of African-Arab shared history, saying that cooperation between the two sides dates back to the founding fathers of the African Union. El-Sisi said that empowerment of women and youth should be generated by political leadership that can transfer it from desire to reality. "Any business or capital owner seeks stability in the country he is willing to invest in," the Egyptian president commented. "Safety and stability is a great opportunity we shouldn't lose," he added. The Egyptian president also discussed the presidential programme for grooming young people for leadership, saying it was motivated by a strong belief in their capabilities and qualifications, and said he wished Egypt could provide more scholarships to Arab and African brothers. The three-day youth event began on Saturday. El-Sisi commented during an earlier session on Sunday that Egypt will always offer all its resources to the African youth "with all respect, love, and humility."
