Day: February 13, 2023

Egypt condemned Monday the Israeli government’s decision to legalize the status of some settlers that had not got permits, and expand existing settlements on the Palestinian territories it occupies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the decision violated the relevant resolutions of the United States Security Council (UNSC) as well as international law.

The ministry also considered the decision a provocative act that comes in tandem with holding the Jerusalem Support Conference hosted in Egypt on Sunday. It equally warned of fomenting the already simmering tensions on the occupied lands in a way that could worsen violence, and hence, incur repercussions on regional security and stability.

Egypt demanded the immediate halting of unilateral acts on the Israeli side, including the demolition of houses, arrests, and raids that target the Palestinian people and their properties.

The statement stipulated that the only way to pacification is abstaining from acts that violate international law, and paving the road for the resumption of negotiations with the aim of establishing an independent Palestinian state, and achieving comprehensive and just peace.

The decision issued Sunday granted retroactive authorization to nine settler outposts in the West Bank, and permitted the construction of thousands of houses in existing settlements, as reported by Reuters.

Source: Egypt Today Magazine

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi participated in a session on “Empowering the Private Sector and the Role of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE)”, which was held on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

The session was attended by representatives of a number of the largest family-owned companies; the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt; the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Planning and Economic Development, International Cooperation, Finance, Communications and Information Technology, and Trade and Industry as well as the Chief Executive Officer of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, said that during the session, the ministers offered an overview of the investment mechanisms and opportunities available in Egypt in all sectors. The Sovereign Fund of Egypt’s CEO also showcased the fund’s various activities and projects.

President Sisi was keen on highlighting the state’s ongoing efforts across all levels to spur the private sector activity and provide opportunities for investment partnerships that realize the common interests of all parties.

The President also reviewed measures undertaken to strengthen the institutional framework supportive of investment, foremost of which is the adoption of the State Ownership Policy Document. The State Ownership Policy Document seeks to promote competitive neutrality, and establish The Sovereign Fund of Egypt as one of the mechanisms to advance the partnership with the local and foreign private sectors. The aim is to realize the objectives of the state’s development strategy, which considers the private sector as a key partner in the development process, in accordance with the structural reform plan for the economy and the priority sectors in this regard. Those include primarily the agriculture, industry, services, health, education and tourism sectors.

Source: Egypt Today Magazine

EgyptAir announced it is offering 50 percent discounts for travelers around the world as part of Valentine’s Day celebrations.

In an official statement on Facebook, EgyptAir said that the discounts apply to both the economy and business classes.

The company added that if a customer purchased a ticket on February 13, and traveled from February 14 to March 31, he/she can still enjoy the offer.

Source: Egypt Independent

Egypt is seeking alternatives to wheat to meet people’s needs without making a significant difference in the quality of food, said Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research on Monday.

His comments were given at the inauguration of the first edition of the National Wheat Day organized by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), in cooperation with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

The Minister affirmed Egypt’s keenness to secure wheat demands for its citizens.

In September 202, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi denied news reports that Egypt is importing nearly 90% of its wheat needs. The minister pointed out Egypt is importing only about 51% of wheat and the local production is increasing.

In 2022, Egypt’s local production of wheat exceeded 2.5 million tons, according to him.

Source: Egypt Today Magazine

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met Monday with UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum on the sidelines of the World Government Summit.

The UAE vice-president affirmed the high status Egypt and the Egyptian people enjoy among Emirati people, expressing appreciation for the role assumed by the country in terms of standing for Arab causes.

Sheikh Al Maktoum equally hailed the wise political leadership of Egypt in managing internal and external affairs, and valued the strength of the historic bilateral ties, as indicated in the presidency’s press statement.

The UAE prime minister further underscored the deep relations with the princedom of Dubai, which have had a positive effect on coordinating stances on issues of mutual concern, as well as achieving goals and joint interests.

On his side, President Sisi pointed out that the prosperity of Dubai and the UAE represent an inspiring developmental experience, thanking the country for making Egypt a guest of honor at the summit.

The president stressed that the summit is a platform for devising creative ideas to face the different global challenges. The chief of state added that Egypt’s participation reflects the outstanding bilateral relations, which constitute a main pillar for preserving Arab security and interests in the region.

Source: Egypt Today Magazine

The Cabinet Media Center on Monday issued a statement assuring that Egypt would not be exposed to tsunamis and devastating earthquakes in the coming days as a result of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

The center contacted the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), which stressed that all reports claiming that Egypt was at risk are baseless.

The institute explained that it follows the activity of any earthquakes accurately through Egyptian National Seismic Network (ENSN), where the preliminary data of the earthquakes that some neighboring countries were exposed to are immediately analyzed.

No indicators show Egypt would be exposed to dangerous earthquakes or tsunamis during the coming period, as tsunamis occur as a result of earthquakes in the oceans and seas, the institute said.

The Cabinet Media Center appealed to citizens not to be led by false news and advised obtaining information from official sources.

Source: Egypt Independent

The cabinet media center ruled out reports that Egypt would be hit by a Tsunami or destructive tremor in the coming days as a result of the destructive quake that hit Turkey and Syria last week.

In a statement released on Monday, the media center said it has contacted the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) which ruled out the possibility of the country being hit by a tsunami after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, killing hundreds of people.

NRIAG said it is closely following up any seismic activity or quakes through the Egyptian National Seismic Network (ENSN) which is constantly analyzing data after the occurrence of any quakes in the neighboring countries, noting that there are no signs or alarms that a Tsunami or destructive quake would hit the country during the coming period.

The media center urged citizens not to be dragged behind fake news in order to avoid spreading panic among citizens, calling for contacting official sources to check any reports or information before publishing them.

Source: Egypt Independent

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Monday harshly criticized a move by the Israeli government to “legitimize” settlement outposts in occupied Palestinian territories and to build new settlements, stating that the decision is a flagrant violation of the Security Council, UN resolutions and international law.

The Foreign Ministry considers the decision an unacceptable provocative act which coincides with the convening of the Arab League’s Cairo summit supporting Jerusalem.

Egypt warned of the consequences of this decision, which it fears will inflame the severely congested situation in the occupied territories, threatening to widen the scope and pace of violence – bringing dire repercussions on the security and stability of the entire region.

The statement called for an immediate end to all unilateral measures on the part of Israel, including house demolitions, arrests and raids targeting the Palestinian people and their property.

Egypt stressed that the only way to calm the situation is to stop practices that violate international laws and to return to negotiations aiming to reach a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on international legitimacy.

The ultimate goal must be to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in which an independent Palestinian state can coexist with Israel in harmony.

Source: Egypt Independent

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived on Monday at the venue of the World Government Summit 2023 in Dubai.

Around 20 heads of state, more than 250 ministers and heads of 80 international organizations along with a galaxy of international economic experts and chiefs of international companies are participating in the summit.

Source: Egypt Independent

The safety factor of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is yet unknown to us because Egypt , Sudan and Ethiopia were agreeing to conduct studies on the safety of the dam.

A French office was chosen for this task, but Ethiopia obstructed the work of the French office, and therefore we have no information on the safety of the dam, Abbas Sharaqi, a professor of geology and water resources at Cairo University, said.

He added, during a telephone conversation with TV host Amr Adeeb, during the “Al-Hekaya” program, on MBC Masr, that earthquakes affect the dams greatly.

Even if the dam was constructed well, giving an example of the emptying of Turkey’s largest Ataturk dam, which has a capacity of 49 billion cubic meters, as a result of a recent huge earthquake.

While the Renaissance Dam has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters of water, which poses a great danger, he added.

Sharaqi explained that the African groove “is a mistake”.

This groove is near the Renaissance Dam and poses a threat to its safety, he added.

US studies were developing a design for the Renaissance Dam with a capacity of 11 billion cubic meters of water, but Ethiopia decided to build a larger one, which posed further danger.

Source: Egypt Independent