Izzat Saad el-Sayyed: Egypt launches initiatives on Afro-Asian strategic partnership

"An Egyptian delegation to the meetings of African and Asian officials preparing for an Afro-Asian summit in Jakarta on April 22-23 has forwarded a number of initiatives with the aim of supporting the Afro-Asian strategic partnership project, "Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Izzat Saad El-Sayyed said yesterday.

The meeting was held in the Indonesian capital last Wednesday and Thursday.

In exclusive statements to MENA, the Egyptian diplomat clarified that the initiatives included the establishment of a forum for dialogue among African and Asian nations.

The forum will be hosted by Egypt's Alexandria Library, according to Sayyed.

Cooperation between African and Asian stock markets is included in one initiative, he said.

Egypt also proposed sponsoring a ministerial conference on the new Afro-Asian partnership in 2007.