Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met on Friday with his counterparts from Morocco, Nigeria, and Algeria on the sidelines of the preparatory meetings for the annual African Union summit set to be held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 3-4 July. Shoukry congratulated Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita for his country's renewed membership in the African Union, stressing that Egypt is keen on coordinating with Morocco on regional issues of common interest, according to Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abo Zeid. Bourita expressed his country's interest in consolidating bilateral relations with Egypt on all levels, as well as arranging a visit by the Moroccan king to Egypt to discuss cooperation in fields including agriculture and renewable energy, as well as cooperation in accordance with the Aghadir agreement. The Aghadir agreement, a free trade deal between Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, was signed in the Moroccan city of Rabat in 2004 and went into force in 2007. Shoukry and Bourita also discussed the Libyan civil conflict as well as ways to develop multilateral African relations. Shoukry also met with Algerian foreign minister Adel-Kader Mesahel, where they discussed the outcomes of the latest Nile Basin summit held earlier this month in Uganda. The Algerian and the Egyptian ministers also discussed cooperation within the framework of the African Union, such as the initiative for the structural reform of the AU, as well as the Libyan civil conflict and the cutting of ties between Qatar and several Arab countries. Shoukry also met with Nigerian foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama, saying he looks forward to his visit to Nigeria in August to develop bilateral relations, especially in combating terrorism. The Egyptian and Nigerian ministers also discussed the topics on the African Union's meeting agenda, such as supporting peacekeeping forces on the African continent, with Oneama stressing the importance of having mechanisms of consultation among African countries. The 29th African Union Heads of State Summit will be held under the slogan “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth,” with member nations sharing their experiences in empowering young people and preparing them for the future, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry. The headquarters of the African Union is located in Addis Ababa.
