Davos-Klosters, Switzerland — President Abdelfattah Said Hussein Sisi of Egypt, speaking at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, said that the many challenges Egypt faces will not distract him from the imperative of meeting the demands of the country’s twin revolutions.
In a special session, he told participants this entails completing the renewal of national institutions through parliamentary elections in March 2015, revitalizing the social contract through economic development, and addressing violence and extremism. The President also said that his government will play a constructive international role in working to allay growing misconceptions about Islam.
“We need to guarantee a decent life to the people of Egypt through private sector-led growth. This means providing social justice, reducing red tape, creating equal opportunities for all investors, and ensuring sound fiscal and monetary policies,” he said. The goal is to achieve 7% growth in the economy and provide new opportunities to what he described as the courageous, resilient people of Egypt. Given their role in the revolution and the problems of youth unemployment, a particular focus is on the 60% of the population under 40 years old.
On the international stage, the government will continue its efforts to broker an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians that Sisi said will create a new, more stable, reality in the region. More broadly, Egypt will work with its international partners to deal with the challenges they share. “No country can achieve its goals in isolation from the world but, in turn, the world has an obligation to create the conditions for successful integration into the global economy,” he said.
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On Islam, Sisi echoed remarks he made recently at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. “Islam is a religion of tolerance yet over recent years it has become associated with violence and extremism. It is time to stop and think and consider a religious discourse that sets aside the elements that can lead to misunderstanding. No one has the monopoly of truth and no one should believe their ideas are better than those of others,” he said.
More than 2,500 participants are taking part at the 45th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland from 21 to 24 January 2015.
The Co-Chairs of the Annual Meeting 2015 are: Hari S. Bhartia, Co-Chairman and Founder, Jubilant Bhartia Group, India; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International, United Kingdom; Katherine Garrett-Cox, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Alliance Trust, United Kingdom; Young Global Leader Alumnus; Jim Yong Kim, President, The World Bank, Washington DC; Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google, USA; and Roberto Egydio Setubal, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Itaú Unibanco, Brazil.
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