CAIRO (Sputnik) – Terrorism and extremism must be defeated jointly to ensure the sustainable development of the northern African region known as the Sahel, Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi said Thursday.
"I believe that it is necessary to unite efforts and to develop a common strategy capable of eradicating terrorism and extremism, all the groups without exception," Sobhi said, as quoted by the Egyptian Youm7 daily.
Speaking at a regional defense ministry conference in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Sobhi emphasized the need to galvanize efforts to defeat terrorism so as to ensure the sustainable development of the Sahel and Sahara regions.
The two-day event has gathered together 27 Arab and African defense ministers, as well as their counterparts from France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus.
