Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi underlined on Wednesday that he was seeking to build a modern democratic civil state, pointing out that the Egyptian Army and police have fought a battle against what he called the forces of darkness, referring to the period of former President Mohamed Morsi, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sisi added that the Egyptians have also engaged in another battle that is building the country’s future.
The Egyptian president’s comments came during a conference held on Wednesday under the slogan of “the Story of a Nation”, in which he presented the most important achievements during the past four years presidential term, in what appeared to be a prelude to announce his candidacy for a second tenure.
Sisi stressed that he tried to provide job opportunities for the Egyptian people to reduce the rates of unemployment, especially for the Egyptians returning from crisis areas in the Arab region.
The Story of a Nation event, which extends over three days, is being held at Cairo Masa Hotel under the auspices of the president.
Sisi noted that Egypt’s economic reform program, which was launched in 2014, has succeeded in improving all economic indicators, including a substantial drop in inflation rates and unemployment.
He explained that unemployment rates dropped from 13.4 percent to 11.9 percent, while inflation fell from 35 percent to reach 22 percent in the current month. The flow of foreign direct investment increased by 14 percent in the fiscal year 2016-2017.
The president added that the state has been fighting to combat slum proliferation, building 25,000 housing units to provide safe housing in place of slums.
On a different note, Sisi will hold a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Cairo on Thursday.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry described the meeting as “very important” and considered it “a clear indication of the political will of both countries to overcome any obstacles that may hinder promising prospects for our bilateral relations.”
It is expected that the Sisi- Desalegn talks will end with a statement that will lay the foundation for the full strategic partnership and cooperation between the two countries in all fields and the commitment of the Agreement of Principles signed between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.
A meeting between Shoukry and his Ethiopian counterpart was held on Wednesday in preparation for the bilateral talks between Sisi and Desalegn.
