Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev affirmed the common desire to develop co-operation at all political, commercial, economic, investment, cultural and scientific levels.
This came during a meeting between the two leaders in Cairo on Tuesday, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
A joint communique issued following the talks said that the two presidents exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern. They also expressed their appreciation for co-operation between the two sides at the bilateral level and in international forums.
The two leaders also underscored the importance of the timing of the visit by the Uzbek president as it coincided with two countries celebrating the thirty-first anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
They stressed that the implementation of the agreements reached during that official visit by President Mirziyoyev, as well as those reached during the visit of President Sisi to Uzbekistan in 2018, will lay a solid foundation for expanding the framework of co-operation in all areas.
The two presidents expressed their satisfaction with the level of coordination between the two countries in international forums, including the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and other international and regional forums.
The Uzbek president praised the efforts made by the Egyptian leader to establish peace and stability in the Middle East, especially in terms of finding a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian cause and working to restore stability in Libya.
President Sisi also lauded the policy of the Uzbek leader, which aims to create an atmosphere of mutual trust, friendship and good neighbourliness in the Central Asian region.
The two presidents also stressed the need to support security and stability in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of not allowing the existence of safe havens for terrorists and extremists there.
They also asserted the need for continued international efforts to combat terrorism. The two sides also expressed the importance of supporting relief efforts and humanitarian action in Afghanistan in order to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
The two sides stressed the importance of all countries respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, and resolving disputes peacefully at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
The two sides agreed to develop relations between the parliaments of the both countries, especially with regard to strengthening the activities of the two friendship groups, and exchanging experiences at the level of legislative and oversight roles.
The Uzbek leader also expressed great appreciation for the comprehensive reforms implemented within the framework of “Egypt’s Vision 2030 to achieve sustainable development goals” and social programmes such as “Takaful & Karama” and “Decent Life”, as well as initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and attracting foreign investments.
The Egyptian side also appreciated the “new Uzbekistan” strategy and the ambitious reform process initiated by President Mirziyoyev.
The two sides agreed to enhance trade, investment and economic relations, and work to increase trade exchange between the two countries and mutual investments.
They stressed the importance of enhancing the activities of the joint committee for scientific, economic and technical co-operation, and strengthening the activities of the Egyptian-Uzbek business forum.
They also witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding in various fields, including education, investment, trade, industry, agriculture among others.
