Following its election in August and September, Egypt s Senate will get down to business on Sunday by holding an opening procedural meeting. The meeting will be headed by Galal Haridi, a co-founder of the Guardians of the Nation Party, in his capacity as the Senate s most senior member. Two young members will also join Haridi in running the opening meeting. Haridi, 91, is a retired army officer who is widely considered as the founder of the Egyptian commandoes in 1955. He cofounded the Guardians of the Nation Party in 2013. The Senate s opening meeting will begin with reading out a number of decrees related to the formation of the second chamber. These will include president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi s two decrees on the Senate holding its opening meeting on 18 October and the naming of 100 appointees. The decrees issued by the National Elections Authority (NEA) on the invitation to and the results of the election of the Senate in August and September will be also read out. The above procedures will be followed by each of the chamber s 300 members taking the constitutional oath: "I swear by Almighty God that I do my best to preserve the republican system, respect the constitution and laws, fully observe the interests of the people, and preserve the independence, unity and integrity of the homeland." Members will then move to the next step, that is electing a speaker and two deputies in a secret ballot in line with article 4 of the Senate s law (141/2020). All members have the right to run for the three posts. Each hopeful candidate should take the floor and deliver a brief statement about his political background and experience and why he/she wishes to win the post. The Senate s opening meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Shura Council which was dissolved in 2013. Informed sources said the Mostaqbal Watan party, which holds the majority of seats in the Senate, is expected to nominate its head Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Razek, a former chairman of the Supreme Constitutional Court, as the speaker of the Senate. Mahmoud Ismail Othman, the Senate s acting secretary-general, told reporters that once a speaker and two deputies are elected, a committee will be formed to draft the chamber s internal bylaws. "But right now, the internal bylaws of the House of the Representatives (law 1/2016) will be used to regulate the performance of the Senate," said Othman, adding that "it is the internal bylaws which will determine how many committees will be affiliated with the Senate." Once elected, the Senate s Speaker address the chamber, then will give the floor to Alaa Fouad, minister of state for parliamentary affairs, to congratulate members and express the government s intent to fully cooperate with the Senate in legislative and supervisory terms. Leading members representing political parties and independents are also expected to take the floor to deliver statements on the roles of the Senate. Informed sources said once the procedural session is finished, the Senate will adjourn until a new House of Representatives is elected at the end of December. Othman also indicated that all anti-coronavirus protection measures such sanitizing the chamber will be taken. Othman revealed that the Senate s secretariat-general will have 523 staff members who will be in charge of running the daily affairs of the chamber. According to Egypt s amended constitution in 2019, a 300-seat Senate shall be elected, with 100 members to be elected via the individual candidacy system; another 100 through party lists; and the remaining 100 to be appointed by the president of the republic. The Senate s law states that the chamber s main job is purely advisory – that is proposing and studying all that can reinforce democracy, social peace, human rights and public freedoms. The Senate should be consulted on proposed amendments to the constitution, the state s five-year development plans, alliance and peace treaties and laws which form an integral part of the constitution. Statistics on the Senate s election show that the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan party got the majority, with 147 seats (74 per cent). Independents come next with 85 seats. The People s Republican party got 19 seats, followed by Al-Wafd (11 seats); the Guardians of the Nation (10 seats); the leftist El-Tagammu (4 seats) and Modern Egypt (4 seats). Three political parties - the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party, the Reform and Development Party, and the National Movement Party – got each three seats. The Salafist party of El-Nour got two seats. Five political parties – the Egyptian Freedom, Justice, the Republican, the Will of the Nation and Democratic Sadat – got each one seat. Statistics also show that the Senate comprises 40 women (20 by election and 20 by appointment) (13.3 per cent), six members representing professional syndicates and trade unions, two judges, two cinema actors, nine media people, 14 young people, 16 public figures, and twelve chairmen of political parties.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed on Wednesday the Egyptian constants regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), especially with regard to the resumption of tripartite negotiations to reach a binding and comprehensive legal agreement between all concerned parties regarding the rules for filling and operating the dam. El-Sisi s remarks came during a phone call he received from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the African Union (AU), according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency. Egypt s Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said that the phone call dealt with the developments of the hydropower project, in light of the current mediation of the AU to the tripartite negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. The last round of AU-brokered trilateral talks on the near-complete mega-dam concluded in August without reaching an integrated draft agreement on the operation and filling of the dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile. During that last round of talks, the three countries technical and legal committees were scheduled to come up with a unified draft of their three proposals for an agreement to be submitted to Ramaphosa. They failed to reach a consensus, however, and agreed instead to send individual letters to Ramaphosa expressing their visions for the next stage of talks. El-Sisi, during the call, expressed Egypt s rejection of any action or procedure that violates Egypt s rights in the Nile waters, the statement noted. Ramaphosa, from his side, voiced his aspiration for the continuation of intensive coordination between the two countries during the coming period so as to work on resolving the current situation, and to reach a fair and balanced agreement on such a vital issue. The GERD, built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan, has been a source of contention between the three countries since construction began in 2011. The first filling of the controversial dam took place this summer, despite not having reached an agreement with its downstream neighbours. Throughout the few previous rounds of talks, Addis Ababa had proposed a package of non-binding guidelines for the filling and operation of the mega-dam while the downstream countries Egypt and Sudan are seeking a legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam. Addressing the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly on 23 September, El-Sisi stressed that the GERD negotiation period "should not be extended indefinitely" in order to impose a status quo. The tripartite negotiations on GERD reached deadlock last year as did talks sponsored by the US and the World Bank in February. Cairo fears the massive hydropower project will significantly cut its crucial water supplies from the River Nile, while Sudan fears it could endanger the safety of its own dams. Ethiopia says the 6,000-megawatt dam is key to its development and hopes to become Africa’s biggest electricity exporter. The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on various regional issues related to the AU, Rady said.

Maintaining the current situation on the ground in Libya, as per the declared lines, is the main goal in pursuit of a comprehensive solution to restore stability in the oil-rich country, Egypt s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday. El-Sisi said the desired solution should be based on the outcomes of the Berlin conference and the Cairo Declaration, an Egyptian peace initiative announced in June that proposed a ceasefire and the election of a leadership council. Libya, which has been divided between two rival administrations for six years, is currently witnessing a truce agreement between the warring parties after they declared a ceasefire. The declaration ended fears about possible aggression against the port city of Sirte, 370 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli and Jufra, which has a major military airbase. According to a statement released by the presidential spokesman Bassam Rady following the meeting, El-Sisi stressed the joint coordination, willpower, and unity of Arab stances would impose the outlines of the Arab national security. Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya and calling for a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of militias, and a halt to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth. In July, El-Sisi said Egypt “will not stand idle” in the face of any attack on Libya’s Sirte, which he earlier described as a “red line” for Egypt’s national security. During Tuesday s meeting, the two officials also assured the importance of intensifying the international efforts to settle the Palestinian crisis, drawing on international legitimacy decisions, Rady pointed out. The meeting, which was attended by the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, also dealt with bilateral relations between Egypt and Jordan, according to the statement. El-Sisi expressed hope for continuing coordination between the two countries at all levels amid the increased challenges the region is facing. Safadi expressed his country s keenness to continue coordination with Cairo at all levels in light of Egypt s role in the region, which he described as "significant and pivotal." The Jordanian minister arrived in Cairo earlier today to discuss several bilateral issues with a number of Egyptian officials, and to attend a trilateral meeting with his Egyptian and Iraqi counterparts to discuss topics of mutual concern.

In a meeting on Monday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Iraqi FM Fouad Hussein said that Egypt plays a “major role” in Baghdad’s foreign relations. Hussein, who arrived in the Egyptian capital a day earlier, met with a number of Egyptian officials including the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi earlier on Monday. Hussein and the Egyptian officials discussed a number of issued including electricity and gas-related projects, as well as the latest developments in the region, particularly the Palestinian cause and the situations in Syria and Libya. "We understand the challenges – [which we share] – and we are totally ready to cooperate to face these challenges," Shoukry added. Shoukry added that they also discussed challenges caused by terrorist groups as well as the negative impact of the interference of some countries in the Arab world. He also hailed the sacrifices made by the people of Iraq in its efforts to eliminate the Islamic State terrorist group, adding that these efforts have benefited the region as a whole. Shoukry said that an Egyptian ministerial delegation, which will include the minister of planning, will visit Iraq by the end of October. The Iraqi and Egyptian FMs discussed enhancing cooperation in the energy sector as well as commercial, security, military, cultural and educational relations. The talks also tackled a number of regional and international political issues, and Hussein affirmed that Iraq will continue to coordinate foreign policy issues with Egypt. Hussein said that by the end of October Iraq will receive Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to activate MOUs signed earlier between the two countries. The meeting between Shoukry and Hussein comes less than two months after El-Sisi met with Jordan s King Abdullah II and Iraq s Prime Minister Mostafa Al-Kadhimi in Amman, where El-Sisi had expressed Egypt s willingness to establish joint development projects with Iraq and Jordan within a strict timeframe. The summit, which was held in Amman on 25 August, addressed enhancing cooperation in all fields, especially in energy, power linkages, infrastructure, and food.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will give a speech on Monday at the 67th session of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, which is set to discuss key health issues, with the coronavirus pandemic at the top of the agenda, said the WHO in a statement. The session will be held virtually on 12–13 October due to the pandemic. WHO s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al-Mandhari will address the opening session. Health ministers and high-level representatives, from 22 countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, will participate virtually in the session to discuss health issues, WHO said, adding that the session will also gather partner organisations and civil society groups. Ministers and representatives will review the coronavirus pandemic s evolution and current status in the region, including the response to the novel virus, the statement added. They will also review the direct impact of the pandemic on morbidity, mortality and essential health services.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has urged on Sunday awareness of "conspiracies that aim to undermine the country’s stability." In a televised talk during the Armed Forces 32nd cultural symposium, El-Sisi stressed the necessity of preserving the state, especially amid challenges and “new types of war”.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received on Wednesday the Arab Development Action Shield award for the year 2020, a statement by the presidency said. President El-Sisi was handed the award by the Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Abu El-Gheit during Wednesday s meeting, which was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki. The Arab Development Action Shield is an award that is given annually by the AL to Arab figures that led the development process in their countries. Abu El-Gheit hailed the comprehensive development approach led by El-Sisi in Egypt, which formed a model to be emulated throughout the rest of the Arab world, the statement said. According to Egypt s Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady, El-Sisi expressed his gratitude to the AL for this great honour. El-Sisi said, according to the statement, that this shield is dedicated to all Egyptians who have contributed, with their awareness and patriotism, to the success of the economic reform and the process of comprehensive development that is being carried out with Egyptian efforts and resources. The president also affirmed Egypt s support for the efforts of the AL to enhance cooperation between Arab countries, and its concerted efforts to support the development process in the Arab world in a way that meets the aspirations of their peoples and strengthens the spirit of joint solidarity.

Egypt s Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir discussed with a delegation from Germany s Siemens progress in the project to modernise Egypt’s railway signalling system along the Banha-Port Said line. The project, implemented under an agreement signed between the Egyptian National Railways and the German technology giant in December 2015, aims at raising the safety level along the railway line passing through Benha, Zagazig, Ismailia, and Port Said, and the line connecting Zagazig and Abu Kebir. The upgrade plan is based on the installation of 21 main towers and 19 secondary towers. The German delegation told El-Wazir that Sharqia s Abu-Hamad station tower is expected to be operational before the end of October, while Benha s Sheblengah station is set to go into service by 2020. Siemens representatives said the rest of the towers are scheduled to be operational successively as per the underway electronic link system, according to a statement issued by the ministry following the meeting. El-Wazir underscored the necessity of intensifying work on this project, given its significance in increasing the safety a of trains, the statement added. The minister noted the project aims to renew the signalling system and set up a modern electronic system instead of the current mechanical interlockings system to increase safety, reduce the duration of trips, and increase the number of daily passengers and cargo trains. El-Wazir also said the upgrade targets maximising freight transport from Port Said. The statement added that the ministry is working on current and future ventures to modernise the signalling systems over 1,800km, and with a total cost of EGP 46.8 billion. Siemens has been operating in Egypt since 1859 with its technologies having been implemented in different areas across the country.

Egypt s National Elections Authority (NEA) announced on Monday night a final list of candidates for the House of Representatives elections slated to commence later this month. The list was announced after reviewing all rulings issued by the High Administrative Court concerning appeals filed by excluded candidates, the NEA said in a statement. The NEA set 7 October as the deadline for candidates to concede contested seats to opposing candidates, which such concessions to be published in any two widely circulated newspapers on 8 October. The elections are to take place over two stages between 21 October and 8 December. The first stage will cover 14 governorates and take place from 21 October to 30 November, while the second stage will cover 13 governorates and will take place from 4 November till 14 December. The 568-seat assembly will be filled by via the individual candidacy system and closed party lists system equally as per the recent amendments to the elections law.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry took part on Tuesday, on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in the 6th virtual meeting of the AU Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government since the outbreak of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Egypt s presidential advisor for health affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din has denied claiming that the seasonal influenza shot increases the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. Tag El-Din made the statement after a voice message had been circulated where someone who sounds like the presidential advisor warns people against taking the flu vaccine. The person in the recording claimed that since the flu vaccine introduces a weakened form of the virus in order to build up antibodies, this could cause the immune system to ignore other contagions like the coronavirus. In remarks to Al-Hekaya on MBC Masr, Tag El-Din, who is also a pulmonologist, said the claims made in the message are “unscientific, illogical and baseless.” He added that the annual vaccine protects against the most prevalent seasonal viruses worldwide. The elderly, children, people suffering from chronic diseases in the respiratory system, heart or kidneys, or those suffering from immune system diseases, are strongly advised to get the flu vaccine, Tag El-Din said. He also added that the state is keen on having all medical staff take the vaccine to avoid contracting diseases and to be ready in the event of any emergency situation. Concerning a coronavirus vaccine, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced on 12 September the start of clinical trials for a Chinese-developed vaccine. Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the vaccine, developed by the Chinese company Sinopharm, will be tested on 6,000 volunteers aged 18 to 60. Volunteers must be free of chronic diseases and are free to withdraw from the trial at any time. Late in September, Minister of Health Hala Zayed was administered with the Chinese vaccine.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Kuwait on Thursday to offer his condolences for the death of its Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Egyptian Presidency announced. Sheikh Nawaf, 83, assumed power on Wednesday following the death of Sheikh Sabah, 91, on Tuesday. On Tuesday El-Sisi announced three days of mourning for the late emir.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi congratulated in a telegram Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for becoming the new emir of Kuwait, read a statement by the Egyptian Presidency. Sheikh Nawaf, 83, assumed power on Wednesday following the death of emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 91, on Tuesday. “The Egyptian president, people, and government wish the best of success for his Highness Prince Nawaf Al-Sabah in continuing the efforts of construction and development achieved by late Sheikh Sabah,” the statement added. El-Sisi affirmed in his message the strong ties between Egypt and Kuwait, saying he looked forward for more bilateral cooperation for the benefit of their peoples and to serve the causes of the Arab and Islamic nations. The president wished the emir and his people progress, peace and prosperity. On Tuesday El-Sisi announced three days of mourning for the late emir in Egypt.

Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat met on Tuesday with the incoming group of military representatives at Egypt s diplomatic missions abroad, where she highlighted that the Ministry of International Cooperation is Egypt’s main door to strengthening economic cooperation with other countries and international organisations. During the meeting, Minister Al-Mashat said that the ministry is seeking to strengthen economic diplomacy through three principles: regularly organising multi-stakeholder platforms to ensure that all projects between development partners are streamlined and effectively coordinated; adopting a consistent Global Partnerships Narrative People & Projects & Purpose (P&P&P); and mapping development assistance financing for the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for all projects with multilateral and bilateral development partners. According to a statement issued by the international cooperation ministry, Al-Mashat explained that since the launch of the platform, the ministry has organised a number of workshops that saw the participation of over 100 development partners and other stakeholders in society in multiple sectors, especially health, agriculture, transportation and social protection. Through the platform, efforts have been coordinated between ministries and development partners to reach effective development cooperation in accordance with the 2030 national agenda and the UN’s sustainable development goals. “Egypt is seeking to achieve economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to move forward in achieving the sustainable development goals, which requires redefining the social contract through cooperation with international development partners, countries, the private sector, civil society and academia,” said Al-Mashat. She also affirmed that the COVID-19 is a global humanitarian challenge, and that Egypt has shown strong resilience in facing challenges over the past decade.

Security and military delegations from the two rival authorities in Libya will meet in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Hurghada on Monday, with the aim of reaching a mutual ground and preparing for 5+5 military committee meetings. The delegations from the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar in the East and the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez Al Sarraj in the West will meet for the first time in five years in Egypt, under the auspices of the United Nations. Libya has seen years of violence since the ouster of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, with the GNA and the parliament in the east, elected in 2014, vying for power. A ceasefire was announced by the GNA and the Libyan parliament in separate statements in July. Egypt has been pushing for a political settlement in Libya and calling for a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of militias and halt to foreign intervention in the country, as well as a fair distribution of wealth. In June, Egypt proposed a peace initiative dubbed the Cairo Declaration, which was based on the conclusion of the Berlin conference. It proposed a ceasefire and the election of a leadership council. A month later, the Egyptian parliament granted its approval for a potential deployment of the country’s armed forces abroad for the purposes of national security “in the strategic western direction against the work of armed criminal militias and foreign terrorist elements.” The decision came after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi warned the country “will not stand idle” in the face of any attack on Libya’s Sirte, which he earlier described as a “red line” for Egypt’s national security.

Egypt s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended on Sunday the opening of hydrocracking complex project in Qalyubiya governorate, north of Cairo. El-Sisi said the complex s inauguration was delayed owing to the state of instability that followed the 2011 uprising. "The project stopped around ten years because of the state of instability and the state was deprived of economic gains," he stressed during the event. The inauguration was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, a number of ministers and parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al-Safadi affirmed both countries’ steady position on support for the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. Both ministers stressed in a meeting in Amman on Wednesday the necessity of reaching a fair and comprehensive settlement for the Palestinian issue according to international law. Shoukry is in Jordan to participate in a quadripartite meeting on Thursday on Palestine with regional and international counterparts. The meeting between the Egyptian, Jordanian, German and French foreign ministers will see an exchange of viewpoints on the current status of the peace process in the Middle East. It will see discussions on means of accelerating the resumption of the peace process and support to reaching a comprehensive and fair political settlement in Palestine on the basis of a two-state solution. In the past months, Egypt and Jordan have stressed their rejection of any unilateral Israeli action concerning the annexation of the occupied West Bank, which has been delayed temporarily as part of the recent normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Mr. President, At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande for his remarkable efforts as the President of the last session of the UN General Assembly, wishing you success in presiding over the work of the current session, wisely and objectively. Mr. President, Convening this year’s high-level General Assembly session is of a key importance since it coincides with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations as well as with the global outbreak of coronavirus that has taken a heavy toll on people, economy and society. Mr. President, Egypt, by virtue of its history and location and the fact that it is an African, Arab, Islamic, and Mediterranean country and a founding member of the United Nations, has a vision of its own regarding the approach that should be adopted to improve the performance and enhance the effectiveness of the international multilateral system with a special focus on the United Nations. I would like to take this opportunity to present some pragmatic measures to achieve our common goals in the three pillars of the United Nations. The first pillar, with regard to maintaining international peace and security, it has become necessary for all of us to adopt an approach that guarantees the implementation of resolutions issued within multilateral frameworks, while prioritizing the implementation of the stable and consistent rules and principles in the Charter of the United Nations and International Law. Thereby, countries should have a political will to implement and abide by the resolutions and to accomplish the tasks of the United Nations in two ways. One of them is via closely following up on the implementation of what has been agreed upon and taking all necessary measures to help states comply with their obligations and build their capacities, taking into account the principle of national ownership. The other is holding states that are deliberately violating international law and UN resolutions, those of the Security Council in particular, accountable. In this context, it is no longer acceptable that the binding Security Council resolutions in the field of combating terrorism would not be effectively implemented, since they provide the necessary legal framework to deal with this deadly epidemic, and that some countries are not fully committed to them thinking that they will not be held accountable for political reasons. It is regrettable that the international community continues to turn a blind eye to the support a handful of countries provide to terrorists either by providing them with money and weapons or safe havens and media and political platforms. They also help facilitate the movement of terrorist fighters to conflict areas, especially to Libya and Syria before. Egypt s keenness to establish international peace and security aims to spare the people the scourge of armed conflicts by launching comprehensive political operations based on the references included in the relevant Security Council resolutions. Regarding the crisis in Libya, Egypt adheres to the path of political settlement led by the United Nations on the basis of the political agreement signed in Skhirat, the outcomes of the Berlin conference and the Cairo Declaration launched by the Libyan Speaker of Parliament and the Commander of the Libyan National Army, which is considered a joint and comprehensive political initiative to end the conflict in Libya. It includes specific steps and a clear timetable to restore order and establish a consensus government that would meet the aspirations of the Libyan people. The crisis does not only affect the Libyan interior affairs but also the security of neighboring countries and international stability. Egypt is determined to support the Libyan brothers to rid their country of terrorist organizations and militias and to put an end to the flagrant interference of some regional parties that bring foreign fighters to Libya so as to realize the known ambitions and foregone colonial illusions. Therefore, we have previously declared and we are reiterating here that Egypt will confront the continuous fighting and act of crossing the red line represented in Sirte - Jufra line in defense of its national security and the safety of its people. We also renew the call for all parties to return to the political track in order to achieve the peace, security and stability the brotherly people of Libya deserve. If we truly seek the implementation of international resolutions and the achievement of lasting peace and security in the Middle East region, this is not more worthy than the issue of Palestine whose people still aspire to have the most basic human rights; living in their independent state along with the rest of the region. Gaining this right has drained generations and depleted many resolutions to the extent that it has been burdening the human conscience. There is no way to get rid of this burden and to open up the horizons of peace, cooperation and coexistence except by realizing the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, the capital of which is Eastern Jerusalem so that peace and security would prevail for all peoples of the region. The international community must fulfill its commitment to achieving the long-overdue peace. It also should address the measures that aim to seize the lands of the Palestinians and undermine the foundations of a settlement and the two-state solution adopted by international resolutions and upon which the peace process was based. Egypt initiated it in pursuit of achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Arriving at a comprehensive political solution has become a matter of urgency to put out the fires of war and implement all elements of a political settlement in accordance with the Security Council resolution No. (2254) without abridgement or stalling to ensure the unity and territorial integrity of Syria and its institutions, meet the aspirations of its people, and completely eliminate terrorism. By the same logic, it’s time to take a firm stand in order to end the crisis in Yemen by implementing the terms of reference for conflict settlement in accordance with Security Council resolution No. (2216), the Gulf initiative and the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue, in a manner that respects legitimacy, guarantees Yemen’s unity and independence and by putting an end to the exploitation of its lands to target neighboring countries or to obstruct freedom of navigation in Bab al-Mandab Strait. Mr. President, With regard to the issue of the Renaissance Dam, I would like to convey to you the Egyptian nation’s great concern about this project that is being constructed by a neighboring and friendly country on the river that has given life to millions of people over thousands of years. We ve spent almost a decade in painstaking negotiations with our brothers in Sudan and Ethiopia, in an endeavor to reach an agreement regulating the filling and operation of the dam and strike the required balance between achieving the development requirements of the friendly Ethiopian people and safeguarding Egypt s water interests and ensuring its right to life. Over the course of this year, we have gone through successive rounds of intensive negotiations where the government of the United States of America made invaluable efforts to bring the three countries positions closer through the talks that it backed with the assistance of the World Bank over several months. We also entered, wholeheartedly, into the discussions intiated by my brother, the Prime Minister of Sudan. Then, we entered into the rounds of negotiations the Republic of South Africa, current AU chair, called for. However, these efforts "unfortunately" did not yield the desired results. The River Nile is not restricted to a party and its waters are considered a matter of survival for Egyptians without infringing our brothers’ rights. The Security Council’s response to Egypt s call to hold a consultation session on this subject last June 29 confirmed the importance of this issue and its direct connection with preserving international peace and security. The international community, hence, shoulders the responsibility of encouraging all parties to reach the desired agreement that achieves our common interests. However, the negotiation period should not be extended indefinitely, thus imposing the status quo, because our peoples yearn for stability and development and for a promising new era of cooperation. Mr. President, As for the second pillar of the United Nations, which is achieving sustainable development, Egypt firmly believes that supporting development efforts is a prerequisite for strengthening international peace and security and establishing a stable world order. It is the best way to prevent extremism and reduce armed conflicts and humanitarian crises. Egypt has supported the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and played a pivotal role in support of the Secretary-General s efforts to reform the development system, believing in the importance of enhancing the organization s ability to achieve these ambitious goals. The grave crisis sparked by the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic necessitates offering support to developing countries especially Africa ​​via providing stimulus packages for their economies and easing the burdens of accumulated debts on them as well as making use of the tools available to international financial institutions. Thus, an enabling environment that can help these countries contain the effects of the pandemic, deal with the current problems, such as terrorism and irregular migration, and address causes of conflicts, would be created Mr. President, With regard to the third pillar of the United Nations, the international human rights agenda is assuming an increasing importance for its direct impact on promoting human development, improving the level of provided services, preserving people’s human rights to ensure a decent life for all and dealing with the challenges they face at all levels, which supports, at the same time, the stability of the international system. We have strengthened our efforts in the field of human rights at all levels: political, economic and social since we believe that they should complement one another, particularly as per the Egyptian constitution and the amended articles that would guarantee rights and freedoms of future generations, establish the Senate and its role in supporting the democratic system and ensure adequate representation of women in the House of Representatives to at least a quarter of the seats. The constitution also includes articles that provide for regulating the work of state institutions and agencies, reinforcing separation of powers and enshrining the principle of rotation of power. Citizenship can be promoted and justice, equality and equal opportunities can be achieved in several ways without discrimination for any reason. Several efforts could also be made to empower Egyptian women, combat violence against them, call to a new religious discourse, affirm freedom of belief, assert the state’s role of building places of worship without discrimination, and empower people with special needs. Additionally, these efforts support investing in youth, particularly through their inclusion in the decision-making process, establishing direct dialogues with them through periodic youth fora and implementing youth training and qualification initiatives to participate effectively in public work. As for the economic level and in line with the vision of Egypt 2030, it is true that had it not been for the support that the people of Egypt gave to state institutions, it would not have been possible to pass the difficult stages of the structural reform program, whose success would have made a great contribution in fortifying the economy and curbing its losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Egypt is also among a few world countries that managed to achieve a real growth rate despite the pandemic, control inflation rates, and cause the decline in unemployment rates to their lowest in twenty years. We have also established major national projects in the fields of infrastructure, provided adequate housing and energy supply, and devised social programs targeting the low-income brackets to provide them with the necessary protection and mitigate the effects of reforms on them. Health care, a fundamental right, has been prioritized; many initiatives have been adopted and the stages of the comprehensive health insurance system covering all Egyptians started to be implemented, all of which are efforts that directly contribute to protecting a citizen s right to a decent life. In the midst of all this, I cannot help but pointing out that we have never failed to fulfill our humanitarian duty to take in about six million migrants and refugees fleeing wars, political crises and difficult economic conditions. Egypt currently hosts them on its land and among its people; they enjoy all the services the state provides for Egyptians, without any significant aid or support from our international partners despite the importance they attach to the rights of these migrants. Mr. President, We should address the issue of equitable geographical representation on the Security Council to ensure that it better reflects our world today and the current balance of power, which differs greatly from what it was during devising the international system. Egypt stresses the importance of the expansion of the Security Council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories in a way that enhances its credibility and achieves a just and equitable representation of Africa to rectify the historical injustice endured by the African continent and to respond to its legitimate demands as stipulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration . Mr. President, Confronting the grave challenges caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the existing regional and international problems necessitate upholding the principle of international cooperation and solidarity to face these challenges and to avoid conflicts. If “hope is born in the womb of suffering”, we may find in the current crisis what drives us to breathe new life into our relentless efforts to reinforce international multilateral action coupled with the support provided by the United Nations. As a founding member of this organization and as a country that contributed in the creation of human civilization since the dawn of time, Egypt will spare no effort to achieve the vision of renewal and reform. Since Egypt has a firm conviction and strong belief in the idea that “the land accommodates all” and as long as the conflict prevention, peacemaking and international cooperation are the rules and factors governing relations between states and peoples in order to achieve development, security, stability and prosperity for current and future generations, Egypt will make the utmost efforts to achieve that vision.

Six energy ministers, including from Egypt, signed the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) charter on Tuesday, establishing a vital platform that brings together gas producers, consumers and transit states to boost a sustainable regional market for gas. According to a joint statement, Egypt’s petroleum ministry hosted on Tuesday the signing ceremony of the Middle East energy forum – which will have its headquarters in Cairo – via teleconference with the participation of the seven ministers. The forum’s members are Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan. The forum was formed in January 2019 to "create a regional gas market, optimise resource development, cut the cost of infrastructure, offer competitive prices and improve trade ties.” The EMGF will set “a shared vision and systematic and regulated dialogue over natural gas policies… to maximise the region’s resources.” “The EMGF fully respects the rights of its members in their natural resources under international law, and supports efforts to invest their reserves and their use of current and future infrastructure for gas through effective cooperation with gas industry parties,” it said. The statement said that EMGF is open for membership submissions by any state in the Eastern Mediterranean, and any other state or regional or international organisation as an observer. It said it valued support provided by international parties and organisations including the European Union (EU) and World Bank (WB). In a separate statement, Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla said that turning the forum into an international governmental organisation in the region gives momentum to establishing a body that aims to bolster cooperation and dialogue over natural gas. He affirmed the importance of member countries’ role in finalising the charter in a record time of only 20 months, and establishing the forum’s bodies despite the unstable global circumstances. “EMGF countries have succeeded in making history and contribute together to pushing peace,” he said. The signing of the charter comes amid tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region over Ankara s hunt for gas in the region in violation of the territorial waters of Greece and Cyprus, two close allies of Egypt. Conflict further heightened after Egypt and Greece signed a maritime demarcation deal in August establishing an exclusive economic zone between the two countries, sparking an angry response from Turkey. However, Greece signalled on Monday a resumption of talks with Turkey over maritime zones, after Ankara retracted an oil and gas exploration vessel from the disputed area.

Egypt s longest-standing political party has been passing through hard times recently, and over the past few days has been divided into two rival camps, each issuing a statement on the party s participation in the parliamentary elections. The Wafd Party s chairman Bahaaeddin Abu Shoqa said in a statement yesterday that it is important that the party participates in the parliamentary elections, scheduled to begin on 21 October. "I met with the party s secretary-general Fouad Badrawi and see that it is important that the party maintains unity in the coming stage, and I also affirm that the party should participate in the parliamentary elections," said Abu Shoqa, adding that "the majority of the party s Higher Council agree that the party s participation in the parliamentary elections comes through joining the National Unified coalition which will contest 284 seats reserved for party lists." The Wafd Party s deputy chairman Mohamed Abdou, however, said that internal divisions have recently rocked the party, and the way out of this is to hold elections to choose a new chairman. Abdou said in a TV interview on Saturday evening that the majority of the members of the party s Higher Council reject the chairman s decision for Al-Wafd to run in the elections as part of the Mostaqbal Watan party-led National Unified List coalition. "The party chairman s decision was made even though the list will include very few Wafd candidates, and that this is not fair for the party s future," said Abdou. Abdou said the majority of members want Al-Wafd to have no less than 40 candidates on the National Unified List. "But the Mostaqbal Watan Party, which leads the coalition, wants to field the largest number of candidates on the List at the expense of other political parties," said Abdou. Internal divisions have also hit other political parties due to disagreements on participation in the parliamentary elections. The divisions have so far prevented coalitions from submitting applications to contest the 284 seats allocated to party lists. Meanwhile, hopeful candidates in Egypt s parliamentary elections have until next Saturday to submit their nomination bids to the National Election Authority (NEA). The two-stage elections will kick off on 21 October and wrap up on 8 December.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expressed its support for Egypt’s stance over the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a letter delivered to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi from Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi read. According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency on Saturday, El-Sisi received Congolese presidential advisor Jean-Claude Kabongo in Cairo, where he delivered a message from Tshisekedi. According to the statement, the DRC expressed its support for Egypt on the GERD issue, and aspirations to develop bilateral ties with Egypt and benefit from its expertise in the fields of infrastructure and major developmental projects. Kabongo also delivered Tshisekedi’s praise for aid delivered by Egypt to his country, the latest being medical aid sent by Cairo to help stem the spread of coronavirus. El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the DRC’s support of Egypt on Nile water issues, stressing that Cairo is keen to offer support to the DRC and all of the continent’s countries on issues of cooperation, development and peace. El-Sisi also affirmed his appreciation of special cooperation ties with the DRC, and keenness on supporting the country in several developmental and technical fields, with an eye to increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries. The DRC’s support comes a few weeks after the GERD issue hit a deadlock as Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan failed to reach consensus in the latest African Union-brokered talks.