Davos: Egypt will be a committed partner in the international struggle against terror, President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi told the World Economic Forum in Davos, as he outlined Egypt’s new political and economic strategy in his first speech to a major international audience.
He made a specific call for better cooperation in both obtaining and sharing information between government services, with a particular focus on stopping social media being exploited by the terrorists.
He was clear that the threat from terror needs increasing cooperation at different levels: including the intellectual and cultural as well as on the security and intelligence front.
This comment echoed the statement he made in the UAE earlier in the week when he told Abu Dhabi TV that the UAE and Egypt share the view that terror “is a threat to all nations, to the reputation of tolerant Islam, and to all people”.
He told the plenary session in Davos that “Terror has become an international threat. The hundreds who have been killed in countries as far apart as Egypt, Canada, Mali, Nigeria, Lebanon and France all bled the same colour of blood. We need to have a coordinated n international reaction to this threat”.
He referred to the millions who marched in France to show their rejection of terror, comparing them to the millions of Egyptians who took to the streets “to withdraw legitimacy from those who sought to change the country forever.”
Al Sissi was clear that such international cooperation on security needs to work alongside a major effort to change the discourse in Islam and about Islam, which has been dominated by the terrorists for far too long.
“Islam is a tolerant religion and should not be judged by the acts of criminals and murderers. A minority should not distort our religion through a grossly mistaken understanding of our beliefs. The outside world should not trigger a conformation through a clash of civilisations.
“Islam is a tolerant religion but this has not been made clear over the past 20 years and the terrorists have given it a terrible image.
“We have to change the religious discourse without changing any of the immutable beliefs of the religion, but creating a more modern discourse. This is why it is important that the leaders in Al Azhar and all around the Muslim world are looking to articulate the real understanding of Islam and move the conversation way from the terrorists.
Reform
As it looks to attract new investment and build a new inclusive society, Egypt will go through a process of reform in its political institutions, economic framework, and transparency, said Al Sissi.
“Egpyt will build modern institutions. We look forward to the new parliament being elected in March, which will take office with an eye on creating balanced legislation which promotes the rule of law and oversight of government.
“We need to work seriously to meet the country’s socioeconomic demands, creating employment, allowing people to have a decent life,” said the president.
He outlined a five point programme for reform, focusing on rebalancing the government books, introducing clear laws to encourage investment, so as to build economic growth and the millions of jobs that the country needs.
“First we need sound fiscal and monetary laws. We need to reduce public debt, reduce subsidies, cut inflation and protect the weaker members of society. We want to aim for growth of 7 per cent and inflation of 10 per cent by 2020,” he said.
“Second we have to tackle the obstacles to foreign investment. We need to allow opportunities to be taken, and to that end we are looking at a unified investment law which would create a one-stop shop for investors.
“Third, we need more social justice, with a particular focus on encouraging SMEs, young people and women to play a full role in the economy and society”.
His fourth point was to emphasise the importance of building modern infrastructure in Egypt which is sadly lagging in this regard, and how Egypt will be looking for foreign investors for this work and Al Sissi made a direct pitch at Gulf money with a reference to sovereign wealth funds.
“Infrastructure needs investment and we will develop a budget in cooperation with development partners. We will be asked sovereign funds to invest in these projects,” he said.
“Fifthly we want institutional reform to make the government more accountable and efficient, with a particular focus on cutting out corruption,” finished Al Sissi to an unusual round of applause from the audience.