‘Challenges are great, but our successes are greater,’ president tells family iftar ceremony Greater role for private sector and expanded industrial base among initiatives to confront economic malaise CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has called on the National Youth Congress management to carry out a comprehensive political dialogue on priorities for a national plan of action. The call, made during an annual “Egyptian Family Iftar” meeting on Tuesday, seeks a political dialogue with all national forces “without exception,” with findings to be submitted to the president. ad El-Sisi announced that work will be done to reactivate the presidential pardon committee formed as a result of the 2016 National Youth Conference, and voiced his happiness at the release of a number of prisoners by Egyptian authorities in recent days. “The nation accommodates all, and differences of opinion do not spoil the nation’s cause,” he said. “My covenant with you is always honesty and sincerity in work and intentions.” During the iftar, El-Sisi welcomed politician and former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, journalist Khaled Daoud and film director Khaled Youssef. Ministers and heads of political parties joined public figures at the iftar ceremony. “Our determination is unrelenting in order to achieve the survival and construction of our dear Egypt,” El-Sisi said. “The challenges are great, but our successes are greater.” El-Sisi has previously announced to plans to strengthen the role of the private sector and expand Egypt’s industrial base in order to confront an economic crisis worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The Egyptian citizen has borne the consequences of implementing an ambitious and necessary program of economic reform, in parallel with rebuilding and developing the state’s infrastructure,” he said. El-Sisi said that he has instructed the government to “announce a program for the participation of the private sector in state-owned assets, with a target of $10 billion annually for a period of four years.”