Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi welcomed Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev upon arrival at Cairo International Airport on Monday, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said, adding that the two leaders are holding summit talks today.
President Mirziyoyev is paying his first visit to Cairo. In 2018, President Sisi visited Uzbekistan and the two countries then co-signed a number of accords and instruments for the promotion of bilateral co-o-operation in various fields.
Ahead of the Sisi-Mirziyoyev talks, International Co-operation Minister Rania al-Mashat, Trade and Industry Minister Ahmed Samir and Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Mohamed Ayman Ashour conferred on Monday with a visiting Uzbek delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Jamshid Khodjaev.
The chain of meetings aimed at considering ways of bolstering co-operation between the two countries especially in light of the exchange of high-level visits, a Cabinet statement said.
Following her meeting with the Uzbek delegation, International Co-operation Minister Mashat noted the extended character of relations between Egypt and Uzbekistan and stressed the importance of pushing these relations forward and expanding them at all levels in a way that enhances common and mutual interests, the statement said.
She also indicated that convening a new session of the Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific and Technical Co-operation was considered during the discussions with the visiting Uzbek delegation.
The Egyptian state under the leadership of President Sisi stands keen on consolidating relations with all sisterly and friendly countries with a view to responding to the requirements of realising developmental priorities and common interests, Minister Mashat said. Such orientation, she added, also involves motivating efforts between the two countries’ private sectors.
In this connection, the International Co-operation minister underlined the importance of activating the joint business council in order to invigorate trade, economic and investment relations between Egypt and Uzbekistan, the statement reported.
In remarks on his talks with the visiting Uzbek delegation, Trade and Industry Minister Samir emphasised Egypt’s eagerness to strengthen ties with Uzbekistan as an important state in Central Asia and a potential gateway for exports to the region, according to a Cabinet statement.
Noting that the volume of trade between Egypt and Uzbekistan registered an increase by 7 per cent last year, Minister Samir underscored the existence of great opportunities and potentials for the Uzbek businesses community in the Egyptian market.
For his part, Uzbekistan’s Deputy PM Khodjaev highlighted his country’s keenness to advance trade, industrial and joint investment co-operation with Egypt. Both countries are also seeking to boost bilateral educational, scientific and research ties.
Bilateral trade in 2022 was worth $49.9 million, marking a 7 per cent rise on $46.6 million in 2021.
Also on Monday, Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Ashour conferred with the visiting Uzbek Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov.
Discussions between the two ministers, according to a Cabinet statement, covered mechanisms for bilateral co-operation in education and culture.
Minister Ashour said that all forms of support and facilities are offered to the Uzbek students studying here.
For his part, the Uzbek minister underlined eagerness to benefit from Egyptian expertise in scientific research. Mr Abdurakhmonov also proposed the opening a branch of an Egyptian university in his country.
