Africa Prosperity Network to Host High-Level Virtual Roundtable on Infrastructure for Trade and Prosperity
H-Tayea
Africa's leading voices in trade, policy, and infrastructure will convene on Wednesday, April 9, for a high-level virtual roundtable titled 'The Africa We Want: How Should Africa Fund and Build the Infrastructure for Trade, People Movement and Prosperity?'
The event, hosted by the Africa Prosperity Network in partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat, aims to tackle one of the continent's most urgent priorities—building sustainable, well-funded infrastructure that supports regional integration and long-term economic growth.
Scheduled from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM GMT (2:00 PM to 4:00 PM CAT), the 90-minute roundtable will bring together a distinguished lineup of experts, business leaders, and policymakers to explore Africa's infrastructure gaps and propose bold, innovative funding solutions. The discussion will focus on actionable strategies for developing efficient transport networks, boosting connectivity, and facilitating the free movement of goods and people under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
At the heart of the conversation will be how Africa can finance and implement large-scale infrastructure projects that are inclusive, sustainable, and aligned with the goals of Agenda 2063. With logistics, roads, and trade corridors still underdeveloped across many regions, stakeholders will emphasize the need for cross-border cooperation, public-private partnerships, and African-led financing mechanisms that reflect the continent's development priorities.
The event features high-level participation from institutions such as the AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, alongside influential voices in policy, business, finance, and civil society. Among the speakers are Rui Pedro Afonso Livramento, Chief of Staff at the AfCFTA Secretariat; Emeka Uzonwa, Director of Banking and Special Initiatives at Afreximbank; and Donu Kogbara, a well-known columnist and commentator. Other panelists include Ziad Hamoui of Borderless Alliance, James Amoo-Gottfried from Ghana's Ministry of Roads and Highways, Anthony Pile of Blue Skies Holdings, finance expert Eric Otoo, CedarLab founder Tshegofatso Motaung, businessman Pierre Coussey, and Gideon Asare, CEO of Adonis Travels.
This timely discussion is expected to generate actionable insights and policy proposals that support intra-African trade, enhance regional connectivity, and accelerate economic transformation. With the AfCFTA's potential to create the largest free trade area in the world by population, infrastructure development remains the backbone of Africa's prosperity goals. The Africa Prosperity Network and the AfCFTA Secretariat are calling on stakeholders from across the continent to join this vital conversation and help shape the infrastructure that will define Africa's future.
read more
Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685
NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria
Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO
Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided
News
Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks
News
Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank
News
Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region
News
One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid
News
Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers
News
Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia
Lifestyle
Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe
News
Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content
Arts & Culture
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized
Videos & Features
Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO)
Sports
Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
News
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies
Arts & Culture
New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
Arts & Culture
Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily News Egypt
4 days ago
- Daily News Egypt
New Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey follow major cross-border attacks
The Turkish city of Istanbul is set to host a second round of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Monday, hours after Kyiv reportedly launched a significant drone attack on four military airbases deep within Russia, and Moscow conducted what was described as its largest barrage across Ukraine since 2022. An Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Monday the arrival of an Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul for the talks. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that Russia had received a memorandum of understanding from Ukraine regarding a peaceful settlement of the conflict, written in both Ukrainian and English, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. A Turkish foreign ministry source told the agency that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will chair the negotiations after delivering an opening address, adding that Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will also participate in the discussions. Istanbul previously brought the two sides to the table in May, marking their first meeting in three years. The city is scheduled to host their second meeting at 1:00 PM local time (10:00 GMT) at the Çırağan Palace. Medinsky arrived in Istanbul on Sunday leading the Russian delegation, the same team that participated in the previous round. The Ukrainian delegation has been expanded from 12 to 14 individuals, though its leader, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, remains unchanged. In the first round of negotiations, both sides agreed to a large prisoner exchange, '1000 for 1000 prisoners,' presented detailed perspectives on a potential ceasefire, and agreed to continue negotiations. The countries announced that the agreed-upon prisoner exchange was completed on May 25. Moscow Remains Reserved Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko stated that Moscow hopes for 'more tangible results' from the second round of talks. Speaking to the Sputnik news agency on the sidelines of the 'Russia and China: Cooperation in the New Era' conference, Rudenko added, 'We expressed hope to our friends in Beijing that the upcoming round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul (…) will yield more specific, clear agreements and more tangible results.' Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that the Russian delegation is 'ready to present a memo on the settlement to the Ukrainian delegation.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, said Moscow considers it 'wrong to disclose its negotiating positions via the media.' Russian news agencies had earlier quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Lavrov discussed with his US counterpart Marco Rubio on Sunday the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine and the Russian-Ukrainian talks scheduled for Monday in Turkey. Proposed Roadmap Earlier on Sunday, a document seen by Reuters revealed that Ukrainian negotiators participating in the talks would present the Russian side with a proposed 'roadmap' to achieve a permanent peaceful settlement to the three-year war between the two countries. The proposed roadmap begins with a complete ceasefire for at least 30 days, followed by the return of all prisoners held by both countries, along with Ukrainian children who were moved to Russian-controlled territories. This would then be followed by a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The roadmap stipulates that Moscow and Kyiv, with the participation of the United States and Europe, will work to formulate conditions upon which both countries can agree to end the ongoing war. Ukrainian officials said a few days ago that they had sent the roadmap to the Russian side ahead of the scheduled talks in Istanbul. The framework conditions put forward by Kyiv in the document are very similar to those previously presented, including no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace agreement is reached, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine that have come under Moscow's control, and the payment of reparations to Ukraine. The document also stated that negotiations regarding territory would begin from the current position of the frontline. These conditions differ sharply from the demands announced by Russia in recent weeks. Ukrainian Attack Reported As the parties prepared to meet in Istanbul, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday that Ukraine had carried out drone attacks on military airbases in Russia's Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions, and that some aircraft had caught fire. The Ukrainian attacks reached deep into Russia's northwestern, southwestern, and eastern regions. Ukrainian social media accounts stated that the Ukrainian army had conducted a large-scale operation using drones against Russia. The Financial Times reported that the Ukrainian attack targeted four military airbases deep inside Russia, which were used to launch strategic bombers for air raids, noting that the attack was 'one of the most daring operations since the war began.' In a report published on Sunday, the newspaper quoted a Ukrainian official as saying that 'more than 40 aircraft have been damaged so far,' indicating that the attack targeted four Russian military airbases in 'one coordinated operation' thousands of kilometres from the frontline. The official added that 'planes caught fire at the Belaya airbase, located in southeastern Siberia about 5,500 kilometres east of the Ukrainian border, and at the Olenya base in the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk, in addition to the Dyagilevo airbase about 200 kilometres southeast of Moscow, and the Ivanovo base located 300 kilometres northeast of the Russian capital.' He continued: 'The attack hit 34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at Russia's main airfields.' A video, reportedly captured by a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone and published by the same official, showed a Russian airbase engulfed in flames while drones were attacking a number of aircraft. Russian Shelling On the other side, Russia launched a massive drone attack early on Sunday, described as the largest since 2022, deploying 472 drones across Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Reports indicated explosions in the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, while air defences were activated over Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia also launched three ballistic missiles and four cruise missiles, noting that strikes were recorded in 18 different locations. A missile attack on a military training camp in the east of the country reportedly killed 12 people and injured more than 60 others. Ivan Fedorov, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, said that Russian shelling and an air attack killed four people in areas outside the city of Zaporizhzhia in the south. The Ukrainian Ground Forces did not disclose the location of the attack or the type of missile used. Following the incident, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Mykhailo Drapatiy, announced his resignation. In a statement, he said: 'The absence of clear accountability, and impunity are a fatal feature of the army that I tried to eradicate in the Ground Forces, but if tragedies recur, my efforts were not enough.'
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Russia, Ukraine in Istanbul for fresh peace talks - War in Ukraine
Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet Monday in Istanbul to exchange their plans on how to end the three-year war, Europe's largest conflict since World War II, after Kyiv said it carried out one of its most successful attacks, hitting bombers parked at airbases deep inside Russia. Urged on by US President Donald Trump, Moscow and Kyiv have opened direct negotiations for the first time since the early weeks of Russia's invasion, but have yet to make significant progress towards an elusive agreement. Monday's talks come a day after Ukraine carried out one of its most brazen and successful attacks ever on Russian soil -- hitting dozens of strategic bombers parked at airbases thousands of kilometres behind the front line. At the first round of talks in Istanbul last month, the two sides agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange and to swap notes on what their vision of a peace deal might look like. The second set of negotiations is scheduled to get underway at 1:00 pm (1000 GMT) at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, an Ottoman imperial house on the banks of the Bosphorus that is now a luxury five-star hotel. Russia's negotiators arrived late Sunday, with Ukraine's team touching down on Monday morning. Moscow says it will present a "memorandum" of its peace terms, having resisted pressure by Ukraine to send its demands in advance. Despite the flurry of diplomacy, the two sides remain far apart over a possible deal -- either for a truce or a longer-term settlement. Outlining Kyiv's position ahead of the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refreshed his call for an immediate halt to the fighting. "First -- a full and unconditional ceasefire. Second -- the release of prisoners. Third -- the return of abducted children," he said Sunday in a post on social media. 'Root causes' He also called for the sides to discuss a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The key issues can only be resolved by the leaders," Zelensky said. The Kremlin has repeatedly pushed back on that prospect, saying a Putin-Zelensky meeting could only happen after the negotiating delegations reach wider "agreements". Russia has questioned Zelensky's legitimacy throughout the war and repeatedly called for him to be toppled. Moscow says it wants to address the "root causes" of the conflict -- language typically used to refer to a mix of sweeping demands including limiting Ukraine's military, banning the country from joining NATO and massive territorial concessions. Kyiv and the West have rejected those calls and cast Russia's assault as nothing but an imperialist land grab. Tens of thousands have been killed since Russia invaded, with swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine destroyed and millions forced to flee their homes, in Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. Russia's top negotiator in Istanbul will be Vladimir Medinsky, an ideological Putin aide who led failed talks in 2022, has written school textbooks justifying the invasion and has questioned Ukraine's right to exist as a nation. Ukraine's team will be led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, seen as a skilled and pragmatic negotiator, but who has been mired in domestic scandal over alleged abuse of power and a lack of transparency. "Diplomatic advisors" from Germany, France and Britain will be "on the ground... in close coordination with the Ukrainian negotiating team," a German government spokesperson said Sunday. Immediate ceasefire Ukraine on Sunday said it had damaged some 40 strategic Russian bombers, worth $7 billion, in a major special operation after months of setbacks for Kyiv's military. Kyiv's security service said the plan, 18 months in the making, had involved smuggling drones into Russia which were then launched from near the airbases, thousands of kilometres away from the front lines. Russian troops have meanwhile been advancing on the ground, particularly in the northeastern Sumy region, where Putin ordered his forces to establish a "buffer zone" along the border. Ahead of the talks, Russian officials have called for Ukraine to be cut off from Western military support and cede territory still controlled by its army. Ukraine has pushed Russia to agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire -- saying a pause in the fighting is necessary to then discuss what a long-term settlement could look like. Kyiv has conceded it may only be able to get territory taken by Russia through diplomacy, not fighting. It also wants concrete Western-backed security guarantees -- like NATO protections or troops on the ground -- that have also been ruled out by Russia. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Russia says shot down 162 Ukrainian drones overnight - War in Ukraine
Russia intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said on Monday, hours before Kyiv and Moscow were to start a second round of direct talks in Turkey. "Air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 162 Ukrainian drones" between 1710 GMT and 2300 GMT on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement. The majority of the drones were shot down over regions bordering Ukraine, with 57 intercepted over the Kursk region and 31 over the Belgorod region, it said. The barrage came hours before Ukrainian and Russian delegations were to sit down for talks in Istanbul, the second round of direct talks between the two sides since the weeks after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. It also came a day after Kyiv said it carried out one of its most brazen and successful attacks on Russian soil, hitting dozens of strategic bombers parked at airbases deep inside Russia, thousands of kilometres behind the frontline. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
