Egyptian President's keynote speech at World Future Energy Summit

Abu Dhabi, 20 January 2015 (WAM): In a keynote statement, during the 8th session of the World Future Energy Summit, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, greeted and thanked President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the UAE Government for the warm welcome and hospitality given during his visit to the country. As he addressed the importance of renewable energy, the Egyptian President commended Masdar's outstanding efforts in hosting and organising the World Energy Summit, which, he said, highlights the UAE's leading role at the global level in promoting renewable energy and the concept of sustainable development. The President stressed Egypt's commitment to addressing its long term energy security and its plans to expand its reliance on renewable energy to 20 percent by 2020. He also outlined that this target will be achieved through a comprehensive energy strategy, which includes reforms that support the adoption of all sources of energy. "As part of the strategy, Egypt plans to build a 4,300 megawatt of solar and wind power over the next three years," he said, adding that Egypt must leverage its strategic geographic location and infrastructure to make the country an economic hub. El-Sisi pointed to the strong historical relations and links that the UAE and Egypt share, which were established by the late Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, and praised the historical stance of the UAE government and its people in supporting the aspirations and needs of the Egyptian people through two revolutions. President el-Sissi went on to say that the World Future Energy Summit is an international forum which brings forth vital discussions and challenges facing the energy, water and sustainable development sectors. He noted that the global energy consumption has doubled in the last four decades, and experts expect the numbers to double again by 2050. Coupled with the fact that more than1.3 billion people in the world are living without a source of electricity, half of them in Africa, the situation calls for concerted efforts to address this problem, which is impeding the march of progress in sisterly African nations. In his speech, the Egyptian President also talked about the situation in the Arab world, and the rest of the world, referring to the growing phenomenon of terrorism, as he warned against false interpretations of the concepts of Islam, and denounced terrorism and acts that terrorise innocent citizens. "Addressing these challenges requires a conscious partnership with the international community," he said. El Sisi also called for the revision of religious sermons to ensure they are free from misconceptions, and stressed the importance of improving the quality of education, and connecting education to the labour market. "Meeting these challenges requires us to redouble our efforts," he noted. El-Sissi went on to say, "The largest proportion of refugees in the world come from our region, and the largest proportion of aid provided goes to us. Look after your nations, it is change not destruction that is needed," stressing that Egypt is ready to confront any threat to the security of the Gulf, adding that the Gulf region is a red line and an integral part of Egypt's national security. In closing, the President extended his invitation to the Egypt Economic Forum, due to be held in March at Sharm Al Sheikh, where Egypt’s economic vision and its unified regulations and investment opportunities will be shared with the global community. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395275305390.html