Kishida lauds Egypt’s role in evacuating Japanese nationals from Sudan
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and the visiting Japan’s Minister Fumio Kishida agreed on Sunday to elevate bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.
Sisi received on Sunday the Japanese premier on his first visit to Egypt at the start of an African tour.
During the summit talks in Cairo, President Sisi and Prime Minister Kishida discussed means of bolstering bilateral co-operation especially in the fields of investment, trade, education, health, information technology, transport and renewable energy, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
They also referred to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) as a landmark of fruitful developmental cooperation between the two nations.
Ongoing moves to consolidate peace and security at the international level were considered during the talks, spokesman Fahmy said, adding that views were exchanged on such issues as the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, nuclear non-proliferation efforts, enhancing multilateral diplomatic action and reforming the UN and the Security Council.
The Sisi-Kishida talks also covered developments of some regional issues, especially including the Palestinian cause and Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam, spokesman Fahmy said.
Referring to Sudan, the two leaders agreed on the necessity of reaching a ceasefire, pushing forward political dialogue and completing the transitional stage, Spokesman Fahmy said.
During the talks, the Japanese Prime Minister expressed profound appreciation of Egypt’s assistance to evacuate Japanese nationals from Sudan, and extended sincere condolences to Cairo over the death over the death of a member of its diplomatic mission in Khartoum while on duty.
Noting that Prime Minister Kishida’s first visit to Cairo comes at the start of the African tour, ahead of the Group of Seven Summit that Japan is due to host in the city of Hiroshima next month, President Sisi said the visit reflects mutual interest in developing ties.
In a statement to a joint press conference with the visiting Japanese prime minister, President Sisi said that he reviewed during their talks the economic, legislative and structural reform as part of the steps Egypt has adopted over the past few years to incentivize the business environment and improve the investment atmosphere.
President Sisi said he also outlined during their talks the investment incentives and guarantees offered by the Egyptian law, as well as the promising opportunities now available in various fields.
In light of this presentation, the Egyptian leader said he called upon the Japanese government to encourage companies to pump more investments into Egypt.
President Sisi expressed appreciated Japan’s support to the development path in Egypt and its dedicated engagement in supporting national projects in the country.
In this connection, the President made reference to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), considered the world’s biggest edifice for displaying the antiquities belonging to a single civilization.
Egypt, President Sisi went on, looks forward to Japanese Prime Minister’s participation in GEM’s inauguration ceremony.
On the growth of co-operation with Japan, the President referenced to the project of the Egyptian Japanese schools in Egypt which went operational in 2018 involving the introduction of the Japanese basic education system to Egyptian schools.
The President also cited Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) established on Egypt’s northern coast development area of Borg al-Arab, lauding this project a successful model of tripartite co-operation between Japan, Egypt and Africa.
Following their talks and prior to the joint press conference, President Sisi and Prime Minister Kishida attended a ceremony for co-signing a number of MoUs and agreements between Egypt and Japan, spokesman Fahmy said.
The instruments aimed to boost co-operation in the sectors of communications and IT, legal and judicial affairs, and the first phase of the Cairo’s Underground 4th line, as well as a partnership between the Ministry of International Co-operation and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), spokesman Fahmy said.
