On the sidelines of the ongoing World Youth Forum in Egypt’s Red Sea resort Sharm al-Shaikh, US TV channel CNBC and London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat conducted interviews with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in which he discussed a host of issues related to the domestic and international affairs. Egypt Independent summarizes the topics that the president discussed.

Speaking at Egypt s World Youth Forum on Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asserted that illegal migration can pose dangers that threaten the lives of youth, particularly when it is tied to crimes of human trafficking, the ministry s spokesperson Ahmed Abo Zeid said in a statement. Shoukry made his speech on the second day of the international forum during a session entitled "The Negative Influence of Illegal Migration on the Youth of the World."

Egypt recorded its highest level of foreign reserves in its history, Egypt’s Central Bank announced on Sunday, climbing from $36.535 billion at the end of September to $36.703 billion at the end of October. In July, foreign net reserves jumped to $36.036 billion, hitting pre-2011 levels for the first time since the 25 January uprising, with international net reserves increasing $4.7 billion in July alone.

Egypt s newly appointed Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid Hegazi, has conducted an inspection of army and police forces deployed in North Sinai, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. On Monday, Hegazi visited a number of checkpoints and military posts on the governorate s major roads, inspecting weaponry and the preparedness of security forces.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated on Sunday the World Youth Forum (WYF) in the country s South Sinai resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. The forum, held from 4 to 10 November, has attracted thousands of participants from around the world, with official delegations from 52 states as well as youth representatives from 113 countries.

Egypt summoned several European ambassadors on Sunday following their criticism of the detention of an Egyptian rights lawyer, with the foreign ministry branding their comments "unacceptable and blatant interference in domestic affairs". In a statement, Egypt s foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said the envoys of Germany, Italy and Holland have been summoned by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ihab Nasr, with the ambassadors of the UK and Canada to be summoned later.

Egypt recorded its highest level of foreign reserves in its history, the Central Bank of Egypt announced Sunday. In an official statement reported by the state-owned MENA agency, the bank said that reserves climbed from $36.535 billion at the end of September 2017 to $36.703 billion at the end of October.

In a few days, the World Youth Forum (WYF) will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh from 4 to 10 November, carrying the slogan of “We Need to Talk”, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The forum aims to spread a message of peace, prosperity, harmony, and progress around the world.

Foreign investment in Egyptian securities rose to $18.8 billion in October, a year after the central bank floated the pound currency, a Finance Ministry official told Reuters on Thursday. Egypt floated its pound currency on Nov. 3 last year and the central bank has since hiked key interest rates by 700 basis points, driving up foreign appetite for domestic debt.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi visited a police officer in hospital on Wednesday who had been rescued from terrorists who had kidnapped him in the Western Desert, El-Sisi s office announced. El-Sisi was accompanied by Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar.

Central Bank of Egypt Governor Tarek Amer said on Tuesday that Egypt s financial status is currently stronger than it was before 2010, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported. Egypt has been suffering from a severe economic crisis since the 2011 revolution, with a shortage in foreign currency reserves and liquidity. The government has been implementing an economic reform programme over the past two years, including floating the currency and cutting energy subsidies.

Egypt s economic reforms appear to be working, with growth and revenues picking up in some areas, a senior International Monetary Fund official said. "Positive results are being progressively seen," Jihad Azour, head of the IMF s Middle East department, said in an interview during a visit to Dubai.

Egypt signed three agreements and a memorandum of understanding with the European Union on Sunday, providing for Euro 600 million in funding for social, environmental and infrastructure projects, the investment ministry said in a statement. The documents were signed by Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr and EU commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The UK is investing over $97 million in Upper Egypt s Benban Solar Park, set to be the largest solar installation in the world, the British Embassy announced on Monday. In an official statement, the embassy said the investment by CDC Group, the UK s development finance institution, is a part of an International Financial Cooperation (IFC)-led consortium providing a $653 million debt package to fund 13 new solar-power plants – the Nubian Suns – in the Southern Egyptian city of Aswan.

A parliamentary delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdul Aal travelled on Friday to the United States to meet members of Congress during a six-day visit. The visit aims to strengthen relations with US congressional members, through meetings with its leadership, member of parliament (MP) Tarek El-Khouly told Daily News Egypt.

The head of parliament s media, culture and antiquities committee Osama Heikal told reporters Sunday that the committee will meet Monday to begin discussing a law on the regulation of the press and media in Egypt. "This long-awaited law represents a progressive step for media and press organisations in Egypt," said Heikal, adding, "This draft law aims to upgrade the performance of Egypt s three press regulatory bodies and help upgrade and discipline media businesses."

The US dollar to Egyptian pound exchange rate maintained its prices within the banking sector on Sunday. According to latest price updates, the US dollar rate settled at LE 17.60 for purchase and LE 17.70 for sale in the National Bank of Egypt, Bank Misr, Bank al-Qahera, al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Bank of Alexandria, Arab African International Bank and HSBC bank.

Egypts Minister of Interior ordered on Saturday limited changes in the top echelons of the leadership of the National Security Agency (NSA) and other sectors at the ministry as part of an inter-ministry reshuffle and reassignment, the state news agency reported. The ministry announced the names of 11 generals appointed to top positions in various sectors and departments.

A frigate ship presented by the government of South Korea to Egypt arrived at the Alexandria naval base on Thursday, the Egyptian military said. The Egypt Youth corvette was gifted to Egypt as part of wider efforts to bolster military relations between the two countries armed forces and to boost mutual cooperation in all fields, the military said in a statement.

Egypt s cabinet on Wednesday passed final regulations for a new investment law aimed at drawing foreign investment to the economy. The final draft of the legislation was approved by the cabinet in August and was sent to Egypt s State Council for a final legal review.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in Paris on Wednesday to discuss economic ties and bilateral projects, El-Sisi s office said. During the talks, El-Sisi stressed that Egypt is "keen to develop its economic and trade relations with France by carrying out joint projects that meet the interests of both sides, contribute to creating jobs and support small- and medium-sized projects," presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said in a statement.