STORY: Egypt's development gains momentum with BRI: Egyptian ex-diplomat
DATELINE: Sept. 19, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:17
LOCATION: Cairo
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of street views in Egypt
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ALI EL-HEFNY, Egypt's former deputy foreign minister, Vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association
3. various of BRI projects 
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ALI EL-HEFNY, Egypt's former deputy foreign minister, Vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ALI EL-HEFNY, Egypt's former deputy foreign minister, Vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association

STORYLINE:

Ali el-Hefny, former deputy minister of foreign affairs of Egypt and current vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association, said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has given sheer momentum to the promotion of the development in Egypt.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ALI EL-HEFNY, Egypt's former deputy foreign minister, Vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association
"In particular, since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed ten years ago, China has become one of the countries that have helped Egypt's development the most."
   
Once served as the Egyptian Ambassador to China, Ali el-Hefny has been engaged in friendly exchanges between Egypt and China for a long time. 

He highly praised the achievements of the Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries in the past decade.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ALI EL-HEFNY, Egypt's former deputy foreign minister, Vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association
"Egypt is keen to make its development plan for 2030 (Egypt's 2030 Vision) compatible with all the foreign development plans in which it participates, including the BRI. Within the framework of the BRI, several projects are under the spotlight, including Egypt's new administrative capital. A Chinese company is building the central business district in it, which includes the Iconic Tower, the tallest tower in Africa once completed. These projects are of great importance because they have helped Egypt achieve sustainable development."

Regarding the future cooperation between Egypt and China, Ali el-Hefny believes that both sides have great potential in green development and environment-friendly manufacturing.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): ALI EL-HEFNY, Egypt's former deputy foreign minister, Vice president of the Egypt-China Friendship Association
"China has a lot to offer to all developing countries, including Egypt, and it has already helped Egypt. And Egypt has benefited from China's experience in modernization."
  
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo.
(XHTV)