Written by Qusay Hussein

Hani Nagy, the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Australia, hosted a meeting of the group of heads of African missions accredited to Australia at the Egyptian Embassy in Canberra.

This took place with the participation of the ambassadors of Zimbabwe, Morocco, Uganda, Kenya, Angola, Mauritius, Ghana, and Botswana, and the chargés d'affaires of Sudan, South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Libya, Algeria, and Ethiopia, within the framework of periodic meetings aimed at strengthening coordination and consultation on issues of common interest, and following up on the group’s activities on the diplomatic scene in Australia.

African mission chiefs discuss strengthening cooperation in Australia

During the meeting, Ambassador Hani Naji stressed the importance of continuing regular consultation mechanisms between African missions in Canberra, which contribute to supporting common interests and enhancing coordination on priority issues.

In addition to expanding areas of cooperation between African countries at the diplomatic, cultural and community levels in Australia.

He also pointed to the importance of continuing collective work within the framework of the African Group in order to enhance the effectiveness of its joint action and the exchange of views on issues on the Australian scene.

The meeting witnessed a discussion of a number of organizational topics related to the group’s programs and activities during the coming period, in addition to exchanging views on ways to enhance the joint African presence in Australia, and support cooperation frameworks between African missions in various fields, in order to highlight the continent’s priorities and enhance communication with relevant Australian institutions.

In the context of keenness to expand communication channels with Australian academic and research institutions in order to support development priorities and capacity building within the African continent, the meeting hosted Dr. Siaf Owry Churchill, Professor of Economics and Marketing at RMIT University, based in Melbourne, Victoria, where he gave a presentation on the initiatives led by the university within the framework of its new strategy for cooperation with the African continent, which aims to expand areas of partnership with African institutions and African communities abroad through research and development programs in the fields of capacity building, education, scientific research and cybersecurity.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ambassador Hani Nagi hosted a luncheon for the attendees, which included a selection of Egyptian foods and drinks that reflected the diversity of Egyptian cuisine and the richness of its popular heritage, thus giving the participants an opportunity to learn about an aspect of the distinctive Egyptian cultural identity.