President El-Sisi's Speech at Opening Session of 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting

"In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate"

Your Excellency President Évariste Ndayishimiye
President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union,
Leaders of African Union member states,

Your Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
Chairperson of the African Union Commission,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you to your second home, Egypt, and to meet with you today in the city of El Alamein for the opening of the 8th African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting. This meeting offers us an opportunity to explore ways to bolster coordination between the African Union, regional economic communities, and regional mechanisms.
In the beginning, I would like to emphasize the key importance of coordination among member states, the African Union Commission, and the various regional communities and mechanisms, as this contributes to enhancing sustainable development efforts across our continent.

Coordination is not an end; rather, it is an indispensable means to shift from fragmented efforts to integrated ones, and from shared ambitions into specific, achievable projects and programs that create a significant impact on the lives of our peoples.

The city of El Alamein, where we gather today, embodies this message. This land, which once witnessed one of the fiercest battles of World War II and which for many years suffered from the scars of war, landmines, and the remnants of conflicts that our continent had no part in, has today become—as you can see—a model of what strong will can achieve. It shows how development can triumph over the aftermath of conflict, transforming a land of confrontation into a platform for investment and construction.

The African continent is fully capable of turning the aftermath of conflicts into opportunities for development, converting its challenges into drivers of growth, and moving beyond simply managing crises to building its own self-reliance in post-conflict reconstruction and recovery.

We are meeting today during a critical phase for our world and our African continent. Geopolitical tensions, conflicts, external interventions, terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, alongside disruptions in supply chains and rising costs of energy, food, and financing, are placing pressures on our nations that exceed the capacity of any single country to face alone.

Our message today must be clear: “It is no longer enough to coordinate our positions; rather, our capabilities must be integrated, and we must forge our future through joint efforts.”
Ladies and gentlemen,

Egypt confirms its unwavering position rejecting any external interference in the domestic affairs of African countries, calling for the respect for state sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, which serve as indispensable fundamental principles for the stability of our continent.
Egypt also emphasizes that relations among our nations must be based on mutual respect, good neighborliness, dialogue, and consultation, free from unilateral policies or narrow interests.

We underscore the importance of addressing transnational issues as matters that require cooperation rather than competition, and dialogue rather than confrontation—including the management and utilization of natural resources and transboundary rivers in accordance with international law.

Your Excellencies,

The integration we seek is not limited to the economic dimension. The sustainable management of shared resources—foremost among them water—represents a true test of our capacity for integration and of our ability to turn intersecting interests into opportunities for cooperation.

In this regard, Egypt values the selection of ‘Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems’ as the African Union theme for 2026. We also welcome the adoption of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy 2063 document.

We look forward to working with our brothers and sisters across the continent to swiftly prepare and adopt the first implementation plan for this document, contributing to realizing continental water security, enhancing stability, and supporting the sustainable development of our peoples.

Egypt, by virtue of its location and the needs of its people, recognizes the utmost importance of the water issue. It affirms that cooperation in managing transboundary rivers must be based on relevant rules of international law, consultation, coordination, and the principles of good neighborliness and non-harm.

There is no doubt that every state has the right to development and to benefit from its natural resources. However, at the same time, this right must be exercised responsibly, without causing harm to other nations. Our shared interests outweigh our differences, and we can achieve prosperity for our peoples whenever intentions are sincere, the language of dialogue prevails, and we remain committed to the principle of achieving mutual benefit for all.

Your Excellencies,

If peace is a precondition for development, then economic integration is one of the most vital tools for solidifying peace. The more our countries' economies are interconnected, the more our peoples' interests overlap, and the more our borders become bridges for the flow of trade and investment, the greater our capacity to build a more stable and prosperous future.

Hence, Egypt calls for the full operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which entered into force in 2019 during Egypt's presidency of the African Union. This will open the door to building a genuine African market that contributes to harnessing our continent's immense productive capacities, increasing intra-African trade, supporting industrialization and technology transfer, and creating more job opportunities.

A continent endowed with such resources, wealth, and human potential should no longer remain merely a supplier of raw materials, only to reimport them as finished products from abroad. Instead, we must build integrated value chains within Africa, enhance our production and manufacturing capabilities, and make African economic integration a true engine of growth.

In this context, and in recognition of the pivotal role the African private sector plays, Egypt was keen to launch Alamein Africa Forum to serve as a regular platform bringing together leaders, decision-makers, investors, and financial institutions across the continent.

We were pleased yesterday to have a number of Your Excellencies participate in the opening of its first edition, and we look forward to your participation in its second edition, which Egypt will host in 2028.

Your Excellencies,

We cannot speak of peace and development without speaking of the countries that have suffered from conflicts.

From this standpoint, and in my capacity as the African Union Champion on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, I confirm that rebuilding nations after conflicts is not only a humanitarian or economic endeavor, but rather an integral component of the African peace and security architecture.

This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launch of the African Union Policy on Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development. We call for seizing this occasion as an opportunity to review what has been achieved, identify shortcomings, and renew our commitment to turning this policy into tangible programs and projects on the ground.

In this context, I commend the efforts exerted by the African Union Commission and the African Union Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, hosted in Cairo, in supporting national institutions and building capacities.

I renew Egypt's commitment to continuing its support for these efforts, which must be doubled by increasing relevant funding, programs, and projects, while prioritizing projects with a rapid and direct impact on citizens' lives.

It is precisely here that the various circles of African action converge: “Peace that protects development, development that reinforces stability, economic integration that creates opportunities, cooperation in shared resources that prevents conflicts, and continental and regional institutions that translate this vision into joint action and a reality on the ground.”

Your Excellencies,

Egypt looks to Africa's future with great confidence. Our continent does not lack the resources, human potential, or opportunities. What it needs more than ever is to unite our wills in order to transform the cooperation frameworks we have launched over decades into more effective tools for serving our peoples' interests.

Hence, our meeting today must be a new step that moves us from coordination to integration, from crisis management to capacity building, and from ambitions to achievements.

Your Excellencies,

I welcome you once again to Egypt.
I look forward to constructive and fruitful deliberations, and that our meeting today yields a practical vision that strengthens joint African action and fulfills the aspirations of the sons and daughters of our precious continent for peace, development, and prosperity.

Thank you.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.