Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty reaffirmed the African Union's backing of Dr Khaled El-Anany's candidacy for Director-General of UNESCO. He said the endorsement reflected the Union's confidence in the Egyptian nominee's credentials, distinguished career, and capacity to represent Africa effectively within the UN agency. During talks with his Nigerian counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar, the Egyptian FM reviewed ongoing cooperation between Egypt and Nigeria, emphasising the importance of building on the outcomes of the Egypt-Nigeria Business Forum held in Abuja. He stressed the need to deepen investment and trade ties in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining, construction, and information technology. On counterterrorism efforts, Abdel-Aty expressed Egypt's readiness to share its accumulated expertise with Nigeria. He proposed expanding field training programmes and adopting strategies to counter the ideological dimensions of terrorism. He highlighted the role of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, alongside Al-Azhar's contributions in confronting extremist ideologies in Nigeria. The minister also noted Egypt's continued support to various Nigerian institutions through the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development. He said the assistance was aligned with Nigerian priorities and needs. The two ministers also discussed developments in regional hotspots, including the Sahel, West Africa, the Horn of Africa, Somalia, Sudan, and Libya. They underlined the importance of reinforcing African joint action through the African Union, particularly in light of mounting threats across the continent — from the Red Sea in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. For his part, the Nigerian foreign minister praised Egypt's active role on the African stage, particularly in post-conflict reconstruction, sustainable development, and counterterrorism. He voiced Nigeria's interest in benefiting from Egypt's experience in infrastructure, technical education, healthcare, and modern agriculture. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
