By Sama Marwan,
Dr. Badr Abdel Aaty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, participated on Sunday in the inauguration of the African Space Agency headquarters in Cairo, alongside 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 several heads and officials from African and international space agencies, as well as ambassadors from African countries and partners of the African Union.
In his opening speech, Minister Abdel Aaty expressed pride in Egypt hosting this continental scientific institution, stating that this marks a pivotal milestone in the journey of joint African action and represents a qualitative leap toward acquiring the tools of the future, especially in the fields of space technology and policy.
He highlighted that Egypt’s hosting of the agency stems from its deep belief in its leading role on the continent and its commitment to supporting African integration efforts. He explained that Egypt has made intensive efforts to establish the agency, which embodies the vision of “The Africa We Want” as part of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Minister Abdel Aaty stressed that the agency will serve as a platform to enhance cooperation among African nations in the peaceful use of space, exchange of expertise, capacity building, and the unification of African positions in international forums, especially within the framework of the United Nations. He also pointed to the importance of the agency’s openness to collaboration with research institutions, universities, and international space agencies, contributing to the development of a strong African base in space science and technology.
In conclusion, the Foreign Minister thanked the African Union Commission, member states, and everyone who contributed to the realization of this ambitious project. He emphasized that the inauguration of the headquarters is a crucial step toward building an African future driven by knowledge and innovation and reinforces the continent’s role as an active player in the global race for technological advancement.
It is worth noting that the agency aims to enhance Africa’s capabilities in acquiring space technologies to achieve social and economic development in line with the African Union’s vision. The agency seeks to address the challenges facing the African continent through data collection and analysis and by offering applied programs in various fields, including food security, crop production and distribution, ecosystems and biodiversity, disease prevention, groundwater and water body monitoring, rainfall tracking, coastal degradation, security enhancement, disaster response, and mapping of governmental ICT infrastructure.
