Youth platform recommends deepening Arab-African cooperation

ASWAN, Egypt, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Sessions of the ongoing Arab African Youth Platform wrapped up late on Sunday with ten recommendations aimed at enhancing cooperation between Arab and African countries.

During his speech at the closing session, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi directed the cabinet to coordinate with ministries of foreign affairs and education to allow young Arab and African researchers to benefit from the Egyptian Knowledge Bank.

The Platform will conclude Monday evening after tourist visits by Arab and African youths in Aswan province, one of Egypt's most attractive tourist attractions.

Sisi announced the establishment of the Council of Cooperation between Arab and African Universities as an effective platform for promoting scientific and cultural cooperation between Arab and African countries.

He also decided to launch an Egyptian initiative to eradicate hepatitis C virus among one million African citizens, adding that foreign nationals will be screened for hepatitis C as part of the current nationwide anti-hepatitis C campaign.

It was also decided to set up a group of Arab and African youths to prepare a special vision to achieve the opportunities of Arab-African integration in all fields.

Sisi pointed out that an Arab-African working group would be formed to develop a youth vision for mechanisms dealing with issues of intellectual polarization and extremism.

The Egyptian president directed the administration of World Youth Forum (WYF) to form a teamwork that includes young Arab and African minds to promote cooperation between the African continent and the Arab region in all the fields.

He asked the administration of WYF to prepare for the next Egypt and Sudan Forum to promote cooperation between both countries.

Sisi, who assumed the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) in February, said Egypt will prepare a document in cooperation with the AU Commission and the Arab League to be discussed at the next AU Summit.

The document will suggest the establishment of an African-Arab market, the establishment of a new fund to finance projects of railways, roads and electricity in African and Arab states as well as creating a new mechanism to fight terrorism in African and Arab states and to realize stability.

Utilizing social media platforms to eliminate the mistaken stereotypes between Africa and the Arab world was among the recommendations.

The Egyptian president recommended more policies to empower African and Arab women and youth.

Sisi opened on Saturday the first edition of the Arab African Youth Platform with the participation of 1,500 youths from various Arab and African countries.

During the three-day platform, the youths are expected to discuss the future of scientific research and healthcare, and the impact of advanced technology and innovation in Africa and the Arab region.

The platform will also hold various sessions, workshops, and roundtable seminars, with the goal of bridging the gap between "young promising leaders and top policy and decision makers."

The event was first initiated by Sisi during the closing session of the second edition of the World Youth Forum held in Egypt's resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh in November last year.

The Arab African Youth Platform comes weeks after Sisi took over the AU presidency from his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. It is the first time that Egypt has been elected AU chair since the launch of the African bloc in 2002.