CAIRO – Dr Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration, participated in the inauguration of the African Space Agency’s headquarters in Cairo on Sunday.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Dr. Sherif Sedky, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency; Moses Vilakati, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Environmental Sustainability; and Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, Chair of the African Space Agency Council.
The event was also attended by a number of heads and officials of African and international space agencies, and ambassadors of African countries and partner countries of the African Union.In his opening remarks, Minister Abdel Aty expressed his pride in Egypt hosting this continental scientific edifice, stressing that this step represents a milestone in the path of joint African action and a qualitative leap in acquiring future tools, especially in the fields of space technology and policy.
The Minister pointed out that Egypt’s hosting of the headquarters stems from its deep belief in its pioneering role on the continent and its commitment to supporting African integration efforts. He explained that the Egyptian state has exerted extensive efforts to establish the agency, which embodies the vision of “The Africa We Want” within the 2063 Development Agenda.Minister Abdel Aty emphasized that the agency will serve as a platform for enhancing cooperation among African countries in the peaceful uses of space, exchanging expertise, and building capacities, in addition to unifying African positions in international forums, particularly within the framework of the United Nations.
He also highlighted the importance of the agency’s openness to cooperation with research institutions, universities, and international space agencies, which will contribute to establishing a strong African base in space science and technology.At the end of his speech, Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration thanked the African Union Commission, the member states, and all those who contributed to the implementation of this ambitious project, stressing that the inauguration of the headquarters represents a pivotal step towards building an African future driven by knowledge and innovation, and consolidating the continent’s role as an active player in the global race for technological advancement. He added that it is worth noting that the agency aims to enhance the African continent’s capabilities in space technologies, to achieve social and economic development in accordance with the vision of the African Union.
He highlighted that the agency seeks to address the challenges facing the African continent by collecting and analyzing information and providing applied programs in various fields, including food security, crop production and distribution, ecosystems and biodiversity, disease prevention, monitoring of groundwater, water bodies and rainfall rates, coastal degradation, enhancing security, disaster response, and mapping government information and communications technology infrastructure.
