Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with President Alassane Ouattara of the Ivory Coast and President Alpha Condé of Guinea on Friday on the sidelines of the Africa Forum 2017, presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady was quoted as saying by MENA agency. The three-day forum, organised by the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation and the COMESA Regional Investment Agency, aims to promote intra-African trade and investment, and is taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh. El-Sisi welcomed the participation of the two presidents in the forum, expressing Egypt's aspirations to boost cooperation with the two countries in several fields. Ouattara and Condé both praised Egypt's active role in Africa, hosting the forum, and its potential for investment and sustainable development in Africa. El-Sisi and Ouattara discussed the consolidation of Egyptian companies entering the Ivory Coast market as well cooperation in the capacity building field, Rady added. El-Sisi and Condé stressed the importance of mutual coordination and consultation on African issues, especially as Guinea is currently head of the African Union. The Egyptian president said in an address at the inauguration of the forum earlier on Friday that the country's investments in Africa during the past year amounted to $1billion. He added that his government is working to promote investments in Africa especially in the sectors of construction, infrastructure, energy and mining, agriculture, and communications and information technology. The forum began on Thursday with a day focused on young African entrepreneurs; it will conclude on Saturday.
