Sisi urges youths to play active role in building future

ASWAN, Egypt - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that young people will play an active role in overcoming the challenges surrounding the Arab and African countries to build the future.

Sisi's remarks came during the opening ceremony of the first edition of the Arab African Youth Platform in Aswan governorate in Upper Egypt.

Sisi called for a minute of silence for the victims of the attacks in New Zealand in which four Egyptians were killed.

"We are against all violence and terrorism," Sisi said.

Refugees have become a common problem and the cries of children and mourners have become part of daily lives, Sisi added.

The platform comes weeks after Sisi took over the African Union presidency from his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. It is the first time that Egypt has been elected union chair since the launch of the African bloc in 2002.

He said that the region is burdened by the current conflicts which are almost engulfing its future and erasing its past, stressing that the Arab region and the African continent "have the largest share of this destruction".

The president added that "we have succeeded in creating a common space where we meet and manage our differences in a civilized manner and achieve effective and continuous communication".

Meanwhile, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki said in his speech at the opening ceremony that Arab and African youths face the same challenges such as the danger of migration and terrorism.

Faki praised Egypt for organizing the forum. He stressed that such forums are important as they alleviate the challenges facing the people of the African continent and contribute significantly to the realization of their ambitions and hopes.

During the events of the platform, which will conclude on Monday, 1,500 youths will discuss the future of scientific research and healthcare, as well as the impact of advanced technology and innovation on Africa and the Arab region.

The event was initiated by Sisi during the closing session of the second edition of the World Youth Forum that took place in Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh city in November last year.

Xinhua

(China Daily 03/18/2019 page11)