Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, met with Romania's Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries. The meeting covered key developments related to issues of mutual interest on both regional and international levels. It was followed by a joint press conference for the two foreign ministers. The two ministers also inaugurated a training course on post-conflict reconstruction, development, and stability in the Sahel region, organised by the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding, affiliated with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Romanian Development Agency. In his speech at the opening ceremony, Minister Abdelatty highlighted that this training course is the first of its kind between Egypt and Romania on the topic of post-conflict reconstruction, reflecting the coordination between the two countries on issues of common interest. He emphasised that the course underscores the importance both Egypt and Romania place on their relationships with African countries, particularly the Sahel region, as well as the issue of post-conflict reconstruction and development. Abdelatty noted that this training program coincides with Egypt's presidency of the African Peace and Security Council, during which Egypt is committed to increasing its contributions to efforts to prevent and resolve crises in Africa. He stressed that reconstruction efforts are part of a comprehensive approach to peacebuilding that combines security, development, and social dimensions to achieve stability. He added that Egypt prioritises building national institutions and strengthening their capacities as a key pillar of post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts. Minister Abdelatty also stated that this training aligns with the conclusions of the fourth edition of the Aswan Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development, which called for enhancing effective African leadership in reconstruction efforts by supporting African solutions and responses to urgent issues on the continent. For her part, the Romanian Foreign Minister expressed her pride in the friendship that unites her country with Egypt, praising the efforts of the Cairo International Center, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Romanian Development Agency in organising the sixteenth edition of the training course. She highlighted that Romania has recently become committed to holding this course in Africa. The Romanian minister also noted that her country and African countries share concerns and responsibilities in addressing the growing challenges facing the world, pointing to Romania's commitment to supporting African countries in general, and Sahel countries in particular, to achieve stability, combat terrorism, and restore state authority. She added that African countries have proven over the past years to be a source of innovative ideas and a land of promising economic opportunities. Romania has recently made efforts to strengthen its relations with Africa by issuing a Romanian strategy for the future of partnership with Africa. This strategy reflects Romania's understanding of the importance of the African voice on the international stage and the high potential of African youth to formulate different ideas. The Romanian minister also emphasised that Romania is keen to cooperate with Africa in various fields, including education, health, food security, and disaster management.
