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Thursday, June 17, 1999
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like first of all to thank the Council on Foreign Relations for this opportunity to address you. It is always essential that dialogue remains at the center of any healthy relationship. Between our two Governments, the dialogue and the understanding are complete and provide a richness of relationship and interaction that only two friendly nations linked by strategic interests can have. But more importantly, we nurture a dialogue between two peoples where we share our values with you and yours with us. A dialogue where you ask about our reforms; not to check for progress against an abstract notion, but because you care, and out of concern for the welfare of our people. Ultimately, we all seek the greater happiness of men and women everywhere and all of us will do all it takes to achieve it. This is a theme that has always guided my work, one that guides the policy of Egypt, not only for its people, but also for all those in the region. These are principles that I know are shared by the Council. In this context, let me commend you on the excellent work you have done to help the Palestinians build their institutional infrastructure at this crucial crossroads in their history. What you have done and what you are doing now is a shining example of the caring and the commitment that will change the lives of many, and contribute to greater peace and peaceful coexistence in the region. You have shown the objectivity and the fairness, the confidence and the initiative that are at the heart of the solidarity that the Palestinian people need at this time. The Palestinian people and their leadership are grateful for your support, but most of all, they appreciate your generous and voluntary concern for their well-being and their future. It is with such work that we build the foundations of a durable peace. Today, a new government is in charge in Israel. It has a clear mandate to forge ahead on the road to peace and reconciliation. This is the golden opportunity for reviving the peace process. This opportunity must not be lost. There must be no more setbacks, no stalls, no delays, no excuses, for valuable time has passed and this time in history will not come again. The new Israeli government has a unique opportunity to make a lasting contribution to peace in the region and security for its people. Simple principles should guide its actions, principles of commitment, of trust and of honesty. The road ahead is long and the benefits of the years to come for all peoples will come about only if we trust each other. Foremost, the agreements signed in good faith with the Palestinian authority must be implemented in good faith. Trust is the core of a sustainable peace and unilateral actions that violate the letter or spirit of signed agreements destroy this trust. They destroy the future of peace. Settlement activities must be halted altogether, everywhere, and now. It is my conviction that Syria wants to reach agreement in accordance with the terms of reference reached in the spring of 1996. Negotiations should be resumed from where they were left off then. This too is the essence of peace. Peace is also the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 425 on Lebanon. It must be implemented in full. Finally serious negotiations with the Palestinian Authority on the final status of the occupied territories must begin. The aim should be to reach agreement within a few months. Enough time has passed by. Enough time was wasted. These are the steps of peace for our region. These are the measures of a lasting solution to the suffering, the hardships, the wasted lives and resources of the people of our region. A just and comprehensive peace is the only way to build a future of coexistence, cooperation, and prosperity for all. We will give the new Israeli government the opportunity to articulate its policies and lay down its program for peace. The time for words is past, they will be judged by their deeds. The people of Egypt have always cared for all those in our region, friend and adversary alike, and have sought to sow the seeds of prosperity and of peace. We have taken risks for peace. We have opened the door for peace in our region, and since then, we have been instrumental in ensuring that the peace process moves forward. We have done this out of conviction that prosperity to our region will only be achieved through peace. But more importantly, our conviction is that peace would not be sustainable unless it is fair, balanced and comprehensive. I am sure that you share these ideals with us. You abide by them in your work. We must continue to work together. Ladies and Gentlemen, Today at the dawn of the twenty first century, Egypt has recovered its vigor. It has restored its strength and has today the environment that will create prosperity for its people. Driven by our own ingenuity, our will for progress and the discipline we have found after nearly a decade of reforms, we stand ready to forge ahead. The achievements of our reforms are known, a budget in near balance, low inflation, high growth rates, and a balance of payments with the rest of the world that is sustainable for the long term with low international debt and little short term liabilities. Moreover, and all along our reform process, we had at the forefront of our policies the social dimension of change and restructuring. Our reform program promised at the outset that it would not trade the unbearable burden of sudden change for the promise of improvements in the distant future. It took care of our poor, the under-privileged and those who would be harmed by reform. But this is not enough and we are not content with macro-balances that can stay vulnerable if we do not forge ahead. Our economy has gone from the eagerness of its youth in reform and restructuring, to its maturity in sustained balance and sustainable progress. It is significant that the medium over which these words are reaching you summarizes the essence of our policies over the coming few years. A global world with free flow of information, easy contacts and a pairing of interest and futures. In the coming years exports are our priority. They are the single most important investment in the future of our country. They will bring the world economy to us in technology, in quality, in management and in discipline. And they will bring us to the world; our strengths, our competitiveness and our ability to meet the challenges of the global system. But the world economy of today can only succeed if it brings better lives to all our peoples. And for this, we strive in Egypt for better quality growth. A growth that touches the lives of all; the small and micro-enterprises alongside the large corporation, the unskilled worker along with the highly skilled technician, the large diverse economy along with a cleaner healthier environment. But beyond the policies we seek to build our institutions to the image of our markets, free, liberal and able to address the constantly changing environment we live in. This is the time of the private sector, not only in Egypt but also in the world. We are building a partnership with our private sector countrywide; the consumers, the savers, the investors, with no distinction between national and foreign for all are partners in our progress and all must share in it. We are building the institutions of dialogue so that we reform our laws together, evaluate our progress together, and forge ahead together. Growth in Egypt has risen to over 6% in the last few years. But for this to be sustained, Egypt must attract foreign investment. For its spending, for its technology and for its access to the world economy, foreign investment is a full partner in our progress. Our institutions welcome it, our regulations encourage it and we listen to it in our reforms and in our progress. The time of single countries venturing alone in the world economy is past. We have opened up to the world, with a steady pace of liberalization and a structured approach to free trade with our partners. We are negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union and started discussions on one with the United States. We have initiated the implementation of an Arab Free Trade Area, covering over 15 Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, comprising more than 600 billion dollars in income and over 250 million people. We have also completed our integration in the east and southern African Common Market and will soon initiate our integration into francophone Africa. Our free trade agreements, however, are more than just the elimination of customs duties. They usher a new era of a common purpose, common values and a closeness among our people in both Africa and the Middle East. They are the steps of Egypt's integration in the world economy. They are the building blocks of a lasting prosperity for the people of Egypt . We offer to the world economy a new member, growing, progressing towards greater well-being for its people, and able to attract the World's resources and know-how . We are determined to stay the course with a liberal economy, an open and free society, a broad-based consensus for reform, and the promise of a peaceful and prosperous future for us and our neighbors. Thank you very much |
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