On the occasion of the 64th anniversary of Egypt’s National Day commemorating the July 1952 Revolution Ambassador Youssef K. Hanna highlights some of Egypt’s major developments in the last few years.

During the last five years Egypt has witnessed very positive developments and great achievements in its political, economic and social spheres.

Politically, Egypt has completed the three steps stipulated in the Road Map towards democracy which included as a first step the adoption of a new constitution in January 2014, the most progressive in Egypt’s history and which embodies the hopes and aspirations of the Egyptian people.

Through the second step in May 2014, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was elected as the president of Egypt with a 96.6 per cent landslide, in elections that witnessed a 47.5 per cent voter turnout and were internationally recognised as free and transparent.

Completing the final phase of the Road Map, Egypt’s new parliament was elected in November-December 2015 and convened its inaugural session on 10 January 2016. Forty-four political parties participated in the elections, 19 of which succeeded in securing seats in Parliament. These parties represent all shades of the political spectrum. The Egyptian expatriates have, for the first time in their history, voted in all successive parliamentary and presidential elections conducted after the 25th January, 2011 Revolution.

On the social front, important steps have been taken to further embrace the diversity of the Egyptian society to achieve religious tolerance and co-existence. Great attention has been given to implement provisions of the constitution relevant to the empowerment of women, youth and people with disabilities.

Similarly, Egypt has taken steps in recent years to tackle the root of its economic maladies and ensure that there is greater equity in wealth distribution and opportunities. These efforts included support for Small and Medium Enterprises, subsidy reform and the adoption of a minimum and maximum wage. In addition, the Government embarked on a number of grand national projects such as the new Suez Canal, North West Coast Development Project and the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Dabaa.

On the external level, Egypt has consolidated independence of its foreign policy decision making and established more balanced and diverse international partnerships. A priority was given to the revitalisation of Egypt’s traditional ties with its fellow African and Asian countries. Egypt’s election to a none-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in 2015 has reflected the international community’s support for Egypt and its role in maintaining international peace and security.

As the threat of terrorism has grown in recent years, Egypt has stepped up to the challenge, standing at the frontline of the regional and international fight against terrorism. It continues to co-operate with regional and global partners to fight terrorist activities and the radical ideologies that lead to them. 

The commemoration of Egypt’s National Day is also a great opportunity to celebrate Egypt-Vietnam historical relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 53 years ago. Throughout these years bilateral relations have flourished on the basis of co-operation, friendship, mutual respect, and the exchange of support in different regional and multilateral forums as well as close co-ordination on issues of mutual interest.

The thriving relationship between the two countries holds great potential for expansion and development especially in the fields of trade and investment, agriculture and fisheries, energy, tourism, communication and information technologies, education and cultural exchange.

I would like to seize this opportunity to congratulate the Vietnamese leadership and government for the great socio-economic achievements that reflect the determination of the Vietnamese people, government and Communist Party towards the realisation of sustainable development and modernisation. My best wishes for further development of the excellent relations and co-operation between our two nations and peoples. — VNS