Dr Mostafa Elfekky, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of Egypt, has described Africa as key on Egypt’s foreign policy statement.

He said Egypt considered sister Africa nations strategic and Paramount and was ready to take its real place in the continent’s affairs by giving priority to African issues.

He said working in harmony within Africa was essential for the social, economic and political growth of the continent which was expected to bring the needed development for the betterment of African states and their people.

He said a major consideration was for African nations to promote trade which Egypt was more than ready to lead by using the necessary available resources to improve and promote south-south co-operation with all other African countries.

“Egypt is at the service of Africa in all spheres and she is more concerned about Africa, it is only a perception that some people think Egypt does not belong to Africa,” Dr Elfekky told African journalists at “The Future of Media in Africa” forum in Cairo.

Forty-six journalists and media practitioners, drawn from 22 African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali and Liberia, are attending the forum.

Dr Elfekky, who spoke on: “The importance of co-operation and co-ordination between African countries,” said the African cycle was important to Egypt and that it was only a perception among some African countries that Egypt was rather more concerned about Arab issues than Africa.

“It is wrong for any African country to think that way. Egypt’s Foreign Policy priority is for her to take her real place in Africa’s affairs,” Dr Elfekky said.

He urged African countries and the world, especially the West, to accept and support the Egyptian Revolution in all its endeavours, adding; “the liberation of Egypt is for all Africans and the world at large”.

He condemned the activities of terrorists on the continent and urged all to disassociate Islam from the politics of terrorism and chaos.

Dr Elfekky said it was wrong to associate Islam with terrorism, “Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and does not accept war and, therefore, there is no justification to use it to cause mayhem on humanity.”

He described terrorists as heartless people who had no religion and country and that the world must stand up against their activities.

The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, in Co-operation with the Radio and Television Union of Egypt, organised the workshop to strengthen co-operation between Egypt and her African counterparts.