Egypt has maintained its position as a member at the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for 2021/2022 after it received 170 votes in polls held by the UN General Assembly on Monday. The PBC, consisting of 31 member states, is concerned with backing peace efforts in conflict-affected areas worldwide. “Egypt’s re-election as a member of the intergovernmental advisory body with the largest number of votes affirms the country’s leading peacebuilding role,” said Mohamed Edris, Egypt’s permanent representative to the UN. It also reflects the international community’s trust in Egypt’s capability of providing further contributions in this field, he added. Edris said Egypt had an effective role in the formation of the peacebuilding structure, including the commission, in 2005, and has enjoyed since then an almost permanent membership in the PBC. He referred to Egypt’s peacebuilding efforts worldwide, especially in Africa, and its position in 2016/2017 as the coordinator of the advisory role of the PBC to the security council. The country also chaired the UN Group of 77 and China in 2018. Egypt also chaired the African Union in 2019. Representatives of both Egypt and Romania were also elected as the PBC’s vice-chairs for 2019.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered the immediate start of implementing the executive steps of setting up central product inspection laboratories at all sea, air, and land ports nationwide, a statement by the presidential spokesman said on Sunday. During a meeting with cabinet members, El-Sisi said the labs aim to govern and reduce measures needed for custom clearance in a safe and proper manner, as well as limit the number of parties involved in the process. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir, Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea, and Health Minister Hala Zayed. El-Sisi also instructed that labs be electronically linked, the presidential spokesman added. The president called for developing of the current legal and legislative framework regulating the activity of port centres, in line with the comprehensive modernisation plans.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly urged to swiftly accomplish joint projects between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan amid the current challenges that face the Arab region. The premier on Saturday chaired a tripartite talks meeting in the presence of ministerial delegations from the three countries, calling for cementing cooperation with Iraq and Jordan. Madbouly warned that the delay in the implementation of such projects would lead to doubling costs. He pointed out that the members of the three ministerial delegations, which took part in the tripartite meeting held in Jordan, agreed on putting deals signed among the three countries into effect and launching joint development projects in different fields. The premier said it is scheduled that the leaders of the three countries would hold a tripartite summit in the first quarter of the next year. The attending ministers agreed on increasing cooperation in the fields of health, medicine industries, infrastructure projects, electricity interconnection and interchange trade

Mohamed Sharif Abdullah, under-secretary of the Sudanese foreign ministry, has said Sudan would be the country most harmed in case a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is not reached through negotiations. Abdullah’s remarks came in an event organised by the Sudanese foreign ministry in cooperation with the ministries of water resources and information Wednesday to review with ambassadors from Europe and the Americas latest developments on GERD, which has been of concern to Khartoum and Cairo since 2011. Abdullah highlighted the need to continue negotiations on GERD as the “only way” to resolve the ongoing dispute between the concerned countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, read a statement released by the water resources ministry following the meeting. Sudan will continue its efforts to explain its stance and the dangers its people and strategic facilities on the Blue Nile face, foremost of which is the 55-year-old Roseires Dam with a height of 78 metres, the statement quoted Abdullah as saying. Sharif affirmed Sudan’s adherence to and respect for the mediation of the African Union (AU) on the GERD issue, hoping that the AU’s efforts can lead to a resolution that guarantees a binding agreement for all parties, in accordance with the latest negotiation mechanisms that the parties agree on. He affirmed the need to grant AU experts a bigger role in ending the dispute between parties to the negotiations, on the basis of the “African solutions to African problems” principle. Reaching a deal among the concerned parties through negotiations would not be a hard task in case they garner the required political will, explained Saleh Hamad, chairman of the technical body of the water resources ministry, and Hisham Abdu Kahen, legal advisor to the negotiation team. There are a limited number of disputed issues among the three countries, compared to points they have agreed on, the two officials said. They added that these remaining issues are technical and related to exchanging information on filling and operating the dam, noting that safe operation of the Roseires Dam cannot be guaranteed unless an agreement on these points is reached. The Sudanese statement comes in line with recent press remarks by Sudan s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who noted that the three countries have agreed on 90 percent of issues concerning the dam. The remaining issues need further discussion and political decisions, he added. Last month, Sudan decided not to take part in a tripartite ministerial meeting on GERD that was scheduled to discuss guidelines for further negotiations, saying that the way previous talks were held proved to be "unproductive." Sudan’s water resources and irrigation minister, Yasser Abbas, stressed last week that his country’s benefits from GERD cannot be achieved without signing a binding legal agreement. Egypt and Sudan have insisted that the three countries sign a binding legal agreement on disputed issues surrounding GERD to safeguard the interests of the three parties, a demand repeatedly dodged by Addis Ababa over the last several years.

In a meeting held Tuesday night at the French Senate headquarters, Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the president of France s Senate, Gérard Larcher, exchanged points of view on latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Topping the discussion was Egypt s comprehensive vision on the challenges facing the region, particularly combating terrorism and extremist thought along with restoring security and stability in crisis-stricken countries. The meeting also discussed ways to activate cooperative ties, developing bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in fields of tourism, cultural production and development, read a statement released by Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady following the meeting. Larcher told El-Sisi that his country supports Egypt and its "pivotal and balanced" role in the Middle East, assuring that Paris wants to enhance its partnership with Cairo at all levels, especially on the parliamentary front. President El-Sisi expressed his hope that the visit will be a starting point to further friendly relations between Egypt and France, including at the parliamentary level and exchanging expertise between the two nations, according to the statement. El-Sisi started an official visit to Paris Sunday, during which he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and France s defence and foreign ministers, as well as the mayor of Paris and other officials and businessmen.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said more cooperation with France is required to promote tolerance, moderation, and acceptance of others, as he spoke in a state banquet on Monday hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. “There is no doubt that the huge challenges the world is currently witnessing, foremost of which are the phenomena of violence, extremism, hatred of others, intolerance, racism and contempt of religions, impose a huge responsibility for cooperation,” El-Sisi said. The Egyptian president added that cooperation is needed to “counter these negative phenomena and [activate] joint work to enhance the values of tolerance, moderation and acceptance of the other, which are values we desperately need to spread and deepen in the world now more than ever." President El-Sisi is on an official visit to France, where he held meetings with President Macron, the French defence and foreign ministers, and the mayor of Paris to discuss issues of mutual interest and joint cooperation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Paris on a two-day visit on Sunday evening. He met with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the French foreign ministry s headquarters. El-Sisi and Le Drian discussed on Sunday the latest regional developments, focusing on the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya and Syria, the Egyptian presidency said. According to Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady, Le Drian said El-Sisi s upcoming talks with French President Emmanuel Macron will boost bilateral relations. France, he added, is looking forward to promoting bilateral cooperation in multiple fields and coordinating with Egypt on Middle East affairs. El-Sisi and Le Drian tackled a number of regional files, zooming in on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, and Syria, as well as on crises in some regional countries, Rady added. President El-Sisi stressed that the support of the international community is the way to resolve crises, face meddling attempts, uproot terrorism, and achieve balance among regional countries, the spokesman said. Egypt is keen on boosting its strategic partnership with France as a cornerstone for security and stability in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, El-Sisi said at the meeting. He added that now is the time to support dialogue between the Islamic and European worlds, with each respecting the differences of the other. Rady added the two sides tackled recent updates of the Palestinian cause and means to revive the peace process in the Middle East.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi headed to France on Sunday to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady announced. The visit comes in response to an invitation from the French president, in light of the two sides keenness to develop and enhance the strategic relations between Cairo and Paris, Rady added. The two leaders will hold discussions on the bilateral relations and joint political coordination concerning regional and international issues. The Egyptian president is also set to meet the French prime minister, a number of other ministers and senior officials, including the presidents of the country s National Assembly and Senate, according to the presidential spokesman. During the meetings, President El-Sisi will present Egypt’s vision concerning a number of regional crises, especially those related to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. He will also discuss means to reinforce cooperation between the two countries, especially in the investment and trade fields, in light of Egypt s efforts to encourage foreign investments in Egypt s major national development projects.

Egypt is expected to receive doses of one of the coronavirus vaccines in May 2021 via the Global Vaccine Alliance and Immunisations (GAVI), the Egyptian cabinet spokesman Nader Saad said in a telephone interview with Extra News satellite channel on Wednesday night. Alongside other international organisations, GAVI aims to guarantee rapid and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, mainly for middle-income and least developed countries. Saad said Egypt will be one of the first countries to receive the vaccine, albeit not before the first half of 2021 as GAVI has already a long list of requests from different countries to get the much-awaited vaccine. "Egypt will be one of the first countries to receive the vaccine but that will not happen in January […] may be in the first half of 2021 in May," Saad said. He added that the global alliance is waiting for the trial vaccines to obtain the necessary emergency approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to fulfil the countries’ demands. The vaccine that receives the emergency approval will be provided to the country, Saad explained. The Cabinet spokesman also noted that the global alliance will help Egypt obtain the vaccine at an affordable price, much lower than the market price. Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has earlier delegated the Ministers of Health and Finance to take the necessary measures and procedures to contract GAVI in order to provide the country with a 20 million-dose batch of the coronavirus vaccine. The amount would cover up to 20 percent of the country s needs, mainly medical staffers and most vulnerable categories to the disease, according to previous remarks by Health Minister Hala Zayed. According to WHO, there is still no approved vaccine for the disease which has so far caused the death of 6,694 people and infected a total of 116,724 others across the country. Over the past months, Egypt has participated in the clinical trials of two China-made vaccines in cooperation with the Chinese government and other companies.

The Egyptian government announced that the deadline to receive reconciliation requests for building violations will be extended until the end of December, according to a cabinet statement released on Wednesday. The announcement, which was made during a cabinet meeting held earlier today, came two days after the previous deadline expired on 30 November. This is the third time the government has delayed the reconciliation deadline since the reconciliation process started earlier this year. Egyptian Cabinet Spokesperson Nader Saad said the decision comes in response to the large volume of requests for reconciliation filed by citizens. A number of non-government organisations, which are currently paying the expenses of reconciliation for residents in the most impoverished villages, also appealed to the cabinet to extend the deadline, Saad added. Egypt has seen a significant rise in illegal construction since the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising, with many people constructing multi-storey buildings without acquiring the necessary permits or complying with engineering safety standards. In January, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified a law allowing owners of illegally constructed buildings to settle with the state, with violations pertaining to safety standards, authorised height or purpose, and historic buildings excluded from the initiative. The reconciliation fees are set to be allocated for development in governorates and to upgrade the level of services provided to citizens.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif Al-Zayani, crtiticised Qatar s interception of two Bahraini vessels last week in Bahraini waters. Shoukry and Al-Zayani agreed on Monday at a meeting in Cairo that "such acts contradict the conventions and treaties of the international law of the sea," a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. The Bahraini interior ministry said last week that Qatari patrols had intercepted, seized and threatened with weapons two Bahraini coastguard vessels while returning from maritime exercise "Al-Manaa Al-Bahary," before they then let them go. Al-Zayani has also voiced his support to all requirements of Egyptian national security and hailed the Egyptian role in backing stability in the region. The ministers discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, the statement read, noting that the discussion reflected their similar opinions on these issues. Shoukry reiterated Egypt s support to Bahrain as well as the security and stability of the Arab gulf. He praised the level of bilateral relations with Bahrain and affirmed Egypt s keenness on enhancing them in various fields.

Egypt denounced on Sunday the two attacks that took place in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah and northeast Nigeria in which dozens of civilians were killed and injured, urging concerted international efforts to counter all forms of terrorism and extremism. At least 110 people were killed in the Nigeria attack, the country’s UN humanitarian coordinator, Edward Kallon, said. Militants reportedly tied up agricultural workers in rice fields and slit their throats. A local anti-jihadist militia blamed the attack in Koshobe village near the main city of Maiduguri on Boko Haram, one of the largest Islamist military groups in Africa. Egypt’s foreign ministry affirmed Egypt’s support for Nigeria, reiterating Egypt’s “call for the need to counter terrorism, through firm and collaborative action on the regional and international levels.” Boko Haram is responsible for countless attacks in the past decade which rendered thousands of people dead and tens of thousands displaced. In Hodeidah’s Durihimi district, a mortar attack killed four women and four children and critically injured seven others. The district’s director Fuad Maki blamed the attack on Iran-backed Houthis. The Egyptian foreign ministry also blamed the “heinous crime” on the Houthis, extending condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded civilians. “Egypt reiterates the need to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Yemeni crisis to protect the unity, sovereignty and stability of Yemen and alleviate the impact of the protracted humanitarian crisis that afflicts it,” the ministry said. The ministry stressed a settlement to the crisis in Yemen must be based on agreed international resolutions.

Egypt reiterated its rejection to link terrorist acts with Islam during a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held on Friday and Saturday. The two-day event was held in the Nigerien capital Niamey under the slogan "United against terrorism for peace and development." The OIC foreign ministers discussed a number of issues including combating terrorism, Islamophobia, the Palestinian cause and the Libyan crisis, in addition to conflicts in a number of Islamic countries. According to a statement released by Egypt s foreign ministry on Saturday night, the Egyptian delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdy Loza, affirmed Cairo s support to the Sahel countries in face of terrorism, as well as efforts exerted to achieve peace and security in Libya, Yemen, and Syria. The delegation also congratulated Sudan for signing the peace agreement with the armed groups in Juba.Last month, Sudan s government and rebel leaders signed a landmark peace deal in the capital Juba aimed at ending the decades-long war in which hundreds of thousands died. The signing ceremony was attended by Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

Egypt decried the attack on Shaqiq Port in south Saudi Arabia which took place on Wednesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Thursday. The joint forces of the Saudi Arabian-led Arab Coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen destroyed a booby-trapped boat to thwart a terrorist attack, resulting in damages to a Greek oil tanker. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said a commercial vessel suffered minor damage from shrapnel in a foiled terrorist attack, the state media reported late Wednesday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel was operating at an oil-fired power plant at Shaqiq when the explosion took place. It said investigations are ongoing, Reuters reported. The foreign ministry statement affirmed Egypt s condemnation of aggressive incidents that target the territorial waters of and vital installations in Saudi Arabia, and which represent a direct threat to the freedom of international trade and the security and freedom of international navigation. Egypt reiterated its support for Saudi Arabia in its efforts to defend its territories, maintain its security and stability, and combat terrorism, the statement added. Egypt has repeatedly expressed its full support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, saying the Iran-backed movement’s practices further inflame the situation in Yemen.

EgyptAir will begin operating a weekly flight between Egypt s Red Sea resort of Hurghada and Hungary’s capital of Budapest on Saturdays starting next week as part of efforts to promote tourism to the country. According to an official statement by the national carrier on Tuesday, the flight will be operated by the airline’s Airbus A220-300, which is able to accommodate 140 passengers. EgyptAir already operates two weekly flights between Cairo and Budapest on Fridays and Tuesdays. Egypt, in a bid to offset losses by the aviation sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened its airports for international flights in July after a four-months suspension to contain the impact of the virus. Foreign tourists in groups have been allowed entry into the three coastal Egyptian governorates with the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country. Egypt has required travellers arriving in the country to present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) lab test result certificate for the coronavirus starting 1 September. However, travelers entering Egypt at any of four airports in the Red Sea governorate and South Sinai take a coronavirus test upon arrival. Egypt hopes that the resumption of regular flights will boost its coronavirus-hit tourism sector, an essential source of foreign currency.

Polls in 13 Egyptian governorates opened at 9 AM local time on Monday, marking the beginning of the second and final day of voting in the run-off for the first stage of the country s parliamentary elections at home. The National Election Authority (NEA), the state’s authority in charge of supervising elections, said the voting process on the first day went smoothly. Judges and members of the public prosecution supervised the polling stations to ensure all standards of transparency, integrity, and adherence to relevant laws are applied, the NEA added. The operations chamber of the Egyptian Judges’ Club said it did not receive any complaints from judges or the prosecution staff overseeing the vote on the first day. All polling stations opened on time, the NEA said, adding that it did not spot any obstacles facing citizens while casting their ballots. Voting for Egyptian expats in 124 countries also concluded on Monday at 9 PM according to the local time in each country. No official data was released on the first day’s turnout, however the turnout in the first round of this stage, conducted between 21 and 25 October, was 28.06 percent. The governorates taking part in this stage’s run-off elections are Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, El-Wadi El-Gedid, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, Beheira, and Matrouh. A total of 220 candidates are competing for 110 seats in these governorates. Seats for the Red Sea governorate were decided in the first round of voting.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) predicts a three-day wave of unstable weather starting Wednesday, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in some areas of the country. Cold weather and moderate rainfall are expected in Greater Cairo over the three days, the EMA said on Sunday. On Wednesday, heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms are expected in some areas along the north coast, including Alexandria, Matrouh, Al-Salloum, Rashid, Damietta, Port Said, El-Arish, and Rafah. Moderate to heavy rain is forecast in some areas of Lower Egypt, including Kafr El-Sheikh, Beheira, Daqahliya, Gharbiya, Sharqiya, and Menoufiya, while northern Upper Egypt is expected to see light to moderate rain. On Thursday, heavy rainfall is expected in some areas of the north coast, while Lower Egypt is expected to see moderate to heavy rainfall. On Friday, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in some areas of the north coasts, while Lower Egypt is forecast to see moderate rainfall. The north coast will see highs ranging between 19 and 21 degrees and lows from 15 to 16 degrees. South Sinai will see highs of 25 to 27 and lows of 17 to 18. Northern Upper Egypt will see highs of 21 to 23 and lows ranging from 13 to 12 degrees, while Southern Upper Egypt will see highs of 24 to 26 degrees and lows of 15 to 16 degrees. The meteorologist called for all preventative measures be taken to mitigate the negative consequences of the expected rainfall. Last week, many governorates across the country, especially those along the coasts, were hit by inclement weather, which caused flooding and damaged at least two buildings in Alexandria, which resulted in six deaths and several injuries. Earlier today, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly called on governors to be prepared to deal with the anticipated heavy rainfall, especially in coastal governorates. Earlier this month, Madbouly granted the country s 27 governors the authority to suspend educational activates at schools in their governorates in anticipation of disruptive weather forecast by meteorologists.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to inaugurate Sunday the third edition of the Smart Transportation and Logistics Fair and Forum for the Middle East and Africa (TransMEA 2020), according to a presidential statement. TransMEA 2020 comes as the country pushes ahead with expanding new smart cities and building modern transport systems aimed to upgrade road networks, reduce travel time, transportation costs and fuel consumption, Egypt s presidential spokesman said. He added that the country also seeks to boost trade exchange, reduce accident rates, and protect the environment. The event will be hosted at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in Cairo from 22-25 November, with the participation of a number of international companies working in the transport field. Around 8,500 road accidents took place in Egypt in 2018, down 23.6 percent from 11,098 in 2017, according to data by Egypt s official statistics agency CAPMAS. Egypt has been pursuing a multi-million pound plan to develop and expand the country s road networks in recent years.

Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh on Wednesday that Cairo fully supports all efforts aiming to enhance peace, security and stability in the Horn of Africa. An Eritrean delegation, led by the Eritrean foreign minister and the president s political advisor Yemane Gebreab, had arrived in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday to hold discussions with Shoukry as part of ongoing coordination between both countries. The meeting discussed the current situation in the Horn region, and the latest regional and international developments, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Minister Shoukry stressed during the meeting that Egypt pays great attention to the region s stability, given what it represents as "a basic pillar of regional and continental security," the statement added. The meeting, which was held in the ministry s Tahrir palace, also discussed ways to promote cooperation and bilateral ties between the two Egypt and Eritrea.

Egypt condemned the “cowardly attack” that targeted the medical staff working in the mobile health clinics of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) in the Yemeni city of Taiz, stressing its rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism. Targeting humanitarian workers is a clear violation of international norms, treaties and covenants that provide protection for relief and rescue workers and medical personnel and hinders the sustainability of relief operations and humanitarian aid reaching the affected areas in Yemen, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Egypt values the ERC s humanitarian efforts in Yemen, which contribute to alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people, the statement continued. While the ERC condemned the terrorist act that targeted its humanitarian workers in Taiz, it said it will continue its humanitarian efforts in Yemen despite the risks, reported the United Arab Emirates state-run WAM news agency.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged consolidating the state’s efforts to produce advanced prosthetics in Egypt, based on latest technology, with the assistance of foreign expertise, the presidency said on Monday in a statement. In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Social Solidarity Minister Nevin Al-Qabbaj, El-Sisi also urged securing prosthetic rehabilitation programmes to ensure people with mobility impairment can properly use these prosthetics. These programmes aim at integrating people with disabilities into society and the job market, especially youth, children and women breadwinners. During the meeting, Al-Qabbaj reviewed a programme for community development dubbed Waiy (Awareness). The programme includes development initiatives for many families, including programmes for the early detection of a disability as well as programmes for family planning, child health, drug control and others to combat addiction, illiteracy and poverty. The president urged increasing financial resources allocated from the donation-based Tahya Misr fund to support these programs as well as raise the number of staff working to spread awareness messages within the framework of the Waiy programme.