Day: January 24, 2023

Dialogue is the lifebuoy for humanity to get out contemporary crises, said Grand Imam of Al Azhar Ahmed El Tayyeb on Monday 23/1/2023 during a meeting with visiting Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

El Tayyeb said any dialogue vision not based on religious and moral values cannot benefit humanity.

He told the Italian foreign minister that peoples lost when they depended on material gains and ignored religions, a matter that caused wars and crises.

The Grand Imam said today’s world is in dire need of scientific progress and religion at the same time.

The Grand Imam discussed with the Italian top diplomat means to promote religious and cultural dialogue between the east and west.

During the meeting, El Tayyeb welcomed the Italian foreign minister and his accompanying delegation at Al Azhar headquarters.

The Grand Imam also discussed with Tajani the progress achieved so far in the dialogue among religions and their followers around the world, pointing out to the Document of Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi signed with Pope Francis of the Vatican.

For his part, the Italian foreign minister expressed happiness at meeting the Grand Imam and appreciated his initiative to hold a conference among men of religions to discuss how to confront insults to symbols of religions and their sanctities.

The Italian top diplomat affirmed that dialogue is the best way for peace and security and stressed the importance of graduating Imams able to understand the nature of the Italian society and supply it with moderate thinking.

He called for exerting more efforts to get out of prejudged charges that caused Islamophobia around the world.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

The Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center has said that Fitch Solutions expects an increase in the number of tourists coming to Egypt in the medium term due to a predicted decrease in the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

According to an infographic report it published on Monday 23/1/2023 on the tourism market outlook in Egypt, the international economic institution expects the number of tourists who will visit Egypt till 2026 to reach 52 million (11.5 million in 2023 – 13 million in 2024 – 13.5 million in 2025 – 14 million in 2026).

It said that Egypt enjoys a distinguished geographic location in addition to different types of tourism.

Meanwhile, Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, mentioned a number of Egyptian cities among the best world tourist destinations, with Hurghada on the top of the list of the best cities in the Middle East and North Africa.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli met with members of the ministerial tourism committee in the presence of Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghafar, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait, Minister of Environment Yassmin Fouad, Minister of Transport Kamel El Wazir, Minister of Local Development Hisham Amna and Minister of Tourism Ahmed Issa among others.

The meeting reviewed the previous tourism performance indicators and its forecasts for this year.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli asserted the importance of the tourism sector for the Egyptian State, noting that Cairo has promising opportunities to overhaul the sector and best optimize its potentials.

During the meeting, Tourism Minister Ahmed Issa briefed the attendees on the strategic work tracks of the national tourism, the proposed mechanisms to improve the tourism experience in Egypt along with the upcoming promotional campaigns, visa permits as well as tourism-related services.

The premier ordered more action to optimize all potentials of Egypt especially the real estate wealth in the tourism and newly-established cities to be used as tourism units or hotel rooms to promote the individuals’ tourism.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli chaired meeting of the committee concerned with legalizing the status of churches agreed on Tuesday 24/01/2023 to make legal conditions of 73 churches and affiliated buildings.

This brings to 2,599 the number of sanctioned churches and affiliated buildings.

The committee urged officials at churches, whose status quo had already been legalized, to act to guarantee minimum preventive measures related to civil protection are applied.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hany Swelam has described relations between Egypt and South Sudan as deep-rooted at all levels especially in the water resources domain.

During a meeting with South Sudan Minister of Water Resources Pal Mai Deng Tuesday, Sewelam expressed Egypt’s keenness on offering all kinds of technical support to South Sudan

The Egyptian minister held an expanded meeting with the Sudanese minister attended by the delegations of the two countries to discuss the progress that took place in the joint development projects especially in the water resources to provide pure water through water wells to the South Sudanese citizens.

The Egyptian minister expressed Cairo’s keenness on clearing water canals in South Sudan.

He discussed with Sudanese minister of investment Dhieu Mathok bilateral cooperation and investment projects.

He said that Egypt is keen on enhancing investment relations and encouraging Egyptian businessmen to contribute to development process in South Sudan.

In statements upon arrival in Juba Monday on a three-day visit to South Sudan, the minister pointed out to joint projects between the two countries in the fields of health, education, electricity, irrigation and training in addition to opening a branch for Banque Misr in Juba.

He hailed relations binding the two countries in many domains and joint projects especially in the water resources area.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

Head of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) Mohamed El Orabi has expressed Egypt’s keenness on cooperation with Sweden in the coming period for confronting challenges and crises in the Arab region.

During his participation in a reception hosted by the Swedish embassy in Cairo on the occasion of Sweden’s takeover of the European Union Council’s rotating presidency, Orabi, who is a former Egyptian foreign minister, said the ECFR would work with Sweden to include key issues such as energy security and food security in the Middle East on top priorities of the European Council.

He said ECFR will save no effort to put again Arab issues including the Palestinian cause and the conditions in Syria, Libya and Yemen on its top its priority.

The Egyptian diplomat hailed Egyptian-Swedish relations in various fields.

Source: State Information Service Egypt