Egypt, APPO discuss advancing Egyptian-African integration efforts in oil, gas, energy
Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, received Farid Ghazali, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers' Organization (APPO), and his accompanying delegation on Monday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between Egypt and the organization.
The meeting also discussed ways to support Egyptian-African integration efforts in the oil, gas, and energy sectors.
The meeting was also attended by Ehab Ragai, First Undersecretary of the Ministry for Production and member of the APPO Executive Bureau representing the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Salah Abdel-Karim, CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.
During the meeting, the Minister proposed studying the organization of a ministerial session for energy ministers from member states of the organization.
This session would be held on the sidelines of the African Union's mid-year coordination summit, scheduled to take place in El Alamein next June.
The aim is to provide a platform for dialogue and coordination on the continent's energy priorities and ways to support development projects and enhance African integration in the energy sector.
Cooperation between the Organization, Egypt, and all African countries
The Minister of Petroleum welcomed the Secretary-General of the Organization on his first visit to Cairo since assuming his post, emphasizing his pride in the cooperative relations between the Organization, Egypt, and all African countries.
He affirmed the Organization's commitment to supporting efforts aimed at strengthening cooperation among African nations and maximizing the utilization of the continent's resources, thereby contributing to economic development and securing the energy needs of African peoples.
Badawi highlighted the importance of joint action to address the challenges facing the energy sector in Africa, particularly regarding securing the necessary financing for infrastructure projects. He stressed that the continent possesses promising opportunities and substantial resources that necessitate deepening cooperation and exchanging expertise among member states.
Egypt possesses a strong base of national companies.
The Minister of Petroleum affirmed that Egypt possesses a strong base of national companies specializing in implementing infrastructure projects in the oil and gas sector, most notably Enppi, Petrojet, EPROM, San Misr, and the Egyptian Drilling Company and Modern Drilling Company.
These companies have successfully implemented major projects both within Egypt and abroad, enhancing their ability to contribute to energy and infrastructure projects across the African continent, supporting development plans, and transferring expertise.
For his part, Engineer Farid Ghazali expressed his appreciation for Egypt's supportive role in the organization's activities, praising Egypt's advanced infrastructure and national companies with global expertise and reputation. He emphasized the organization's aspiration to expand cooperation with Egypt and other member states, particularly in the field of training.
He also announced the launch of an African training platform within the continent by the end of this year, commending Egypt's role in supporting joint African efforts and leveraging its successful experience in developing the energy sector.