CAIRO, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday that Egypt always seeks for peaceful solutions with its comprehensive capabilities at the regional level.
"We vow to never forfeit a single right of our rights," al-Sisi said in a televised speech to the nation on the 7th anniversary of June 30 revolution that ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
"Egypt was hit by a wave of terrorism after President Morsi, who belonged to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, was toppled over mass protests against his rule," the president said.
"Terrorism has been one of the country's top challenges over the past seven years. Yet, we destroyed the terrorism infrastructure," al-Sisi said, adding that the country is located in a turbulent region that makes it difficult to isolate itself within its borders.
"The North African country's national security is closely linked to the region's security," he added.
Egypt has been fighting a wave of terrorist activities that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians since the ouster of Morsi in July 2013.
Most terrorist attacks in Egypt over the past few years were claimed by a Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State regional terrorist group.
On the same day, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the development projects carried out by Egypt in the past six years cost the country 4.5 trillion Egyptian pounds (278 billion U.S. dollars).
Despite the pandemic's impacts on the global growth rates and tourism revenues, Egypt continues to achieve the highest growth rates in the Middle East and North Africa, Madbouly said.
The Egyptian president has inaugurated via videoconference two new airports: Sphinx International Airport on Cairo-Alex Road and the New Administrative Capital Airport, 35 km east of Cairo.
"The two airports aim to ease pressure on Cairo International Airport, located on the eastern side of the capital," said Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar.
The president also inaugurated on Monday the Baron Empain Palace in Heliopolis after two years of restoration work that cost more than 100 million Egyptian pounds (over 6 million U.S. dollars.)
The palace, originally built in 1911, is designated as a tourist destination, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities and Tourism Khaled al-Anany said on Monday.
Egypt announced resuming the international air traffic starting from July 1. Foreign tourists will be allowed to visit three coastal provinces to compensate for the losses of the vital industry caused by COVID-19. Enditem
