Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Badr Abdelatty on Thursday discussed over phone with Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré ways of strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional issues of shared interest.
During the phone call, Abdelatty congratulated Traoré on Burkina Faso assuming the rotating presidency of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), according to Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tamim Khallaf.
Egypt is looking forward to continuing supporting and developing bilateral ties as well as enhancing coordination on issues of common concern at both the bilateral and regional levels, in line with the depth of relations between the two countries and their shared interest in advancing cooperation across various fields to serve mutual interests, Abdelatty said.
The Egyptian top diplomat underscored the importance of expanding trade exchange and intensifying direct engagement between business communities, alongside opening new opportunities for Egyptian companies to invest in sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure, energy, mining, and construction, Khallaf said.
Abdelatty reiterated the importance of following up on the outcome of recent business forums and his recent visits to West Africa region accompanied by major companies heads, investors, and private sector representatives.
He further reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for Burkina Faso’s efforts to combat terrorism and establish security and stability, highlighting existing security and military cooperation as well as capacity-building programs implemented by Egyptian institutions for Burkina Faso cadres.
Abdelatty highlighted programs carried out by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) and the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) in the landlocked west African country.
He commended the role of Al Azhar in promoting values of tolerance and moderate religious discourse and in strengthening cultural and religious ties, particularly through Al Azhar’s mission in Burkina Faso, training programs for Burkina Faso imams and preachers, and the annual scholarships offered by Al Azhar University to Burkina Faso students.
Meanwhile, the two sides emphasized the importance of continuing enhancing cooperation and coordination in various fields at both the bilateral and multilateral levels, with a views to supporting security, stability, and development in Burkina Faso as well as across the African continent, the spokesman said.
