Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, received Eng. Farid Ghezali, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers' Organization (APPO), along with the accompanying delegation, to discuss ways to strengthen joint cooperation between Egypt and APPO, and to support Egyptian-African integration efforts in the domains of oil, natural gas, and energy. The meeting was attended by Eng. Ehab Ragaai, First Undersecretary of the Ministry for Production and member of the organization's Executive Board representing Egypt, and Eng. Salah Abdel Karim, CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).
The Minister proposed considering holding a ministerial session for the energy ministers of APPO's member states, on the sidelines of the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Summit, scheduled to be hosted in El Alamein next June. The proposed session would provide a platform for dialogue and coordination on Africa's energy priorities, as well as mechanisms to support development projects and strengthen African integration in the Energy Sector.
The Minister welcomed APPO's Secretary General on his first visit to Cairo since assuming office, emphasizing his pride in the cooperative relations between APPO, Egypt, and all nations across the continent. He also highlighted APPO's commitment to supporting efforts aimed at enhancing intra-African cooperation and maximizing the utilization of the continent's resources to contribute to economic development and secure the energy needs of African populations.
Eng. Karim Badawwi during His Meeting with APPO Secretary General - 2
Badawi pointed out the importance of joint action to address the challenges facing the energy sector in Africa, particularly regarding the provision of necessary financing for infrastructure projects. He emphasized that the continent possesses promising opportunities and vast resources that require deepening cooperation and exchanging expertise among member states.
They reviewed the latest updates regarding the launch of the African Energy Bank (AEB) as one of the Organization's strategic initiatives. They also exchanged views on the executive steps for the bank's launch and its anticipated role in providing financing for oil and gas projects across the continent.
Additionally, they discussed the importance of enhancing regional cooperation through training centers and capacity-building programs, leveraging Egyptian expertise in training, supporting the qualification of African human cadres, and the transfer of technical expertise.
The Minister asserted that Egypt possesses a strong base of national companies specialized in executing petroleum and gas infrastructure projects, notably ENPPI, Petrojet, EPROM, and EMC, in addition to the EDC and MDC. These companies have successfully implemented major projects both inside and outside Egypt, reinforcing their capability to contribute to energy and infrastructure projects across the African continent, while supporting development plans and facilitating expertise transfer.
Eng. Karim Badawwi during His Meeting with APPO Secretary General - 3
For his part, Eng. Farid Ghezali appreciated Egypt's supportive role toward APPO's activities, praising Egypt's advanced infrastructure and the expertise and international reputation of its national companies. He also affirmed APPO's aspiration to expand areas of cooperation with Egypt and other member states, particularly in training.
He also announced the launch of an African training platform within the continent by the end of this year, praising Egypt's role in supporting joint African action and the benefit of leveraging its experience in energy sector development.
