ISLAMABAD – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Expatriate Egyptian Affairs, Badr Abdelatty expressed Sunday Egypt’s appreciation for the historic and close relations with Pakistan.
He expressed pride in the remarkable development the bilateral relations have witnessed in recent years across various fields, stressing the necessity of activating the periodic convening of institutional frameworks for dialogue between the two countries, foremost among them the Joint Committee headed by the Foreign Ministers, and working to hold it as soon as possible to achieve practical and tangible results beneficial to both friendly nations.
This came during the Foreign Minister’s meeting with Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, during his current official visit to Islamabad.
Regarding the counter-terrorism file, Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s experience in combating terrorism, highlighting its adoption of a comprehensive approach that combines security and development measures and addresses the roots of extremism through combating poverty and unemployment, in addition to institutional coordination between various state agencies and Al-Azhar Al-Sharif to dismantle extremist networks, his spokesperson Tamim Khallaf said.
The meeting also addressed regional developments in the Middle East, where the Foreign Minister reviewed the latest situation in the Gaza Strip, stressing the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 2803) and moving forward with the implementation of the second phase of the Trump Peace Plan.
He emphasized the need to enable the International Stabilization Force to perform its duties to consolidate the ceasefire, and discussed the ongoing preparations for holding the International Conference for Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza.
In terms of economic cooperation, Abdelatty expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Pakistan in the economic, trade, and investment sectors, and working to raise the volume of trade exchange to reflect the significant potential of both countries.
He reviewed the economic reforms implemented by the Egyptian government in recent years, including the monetary policy and the flexible exchange rate system, which have contributed to improving the economy’s performance, raising the credit rating, and enhancing the investment climate.
The meeting also explored a proposal to sign a Joint Action Plan between Egypt’s General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) and the Pakistan Board of Investment, which would contribute to enhancing communication between the business communities and opening new horizons for investment.
The top diplomat said it was important of reactivate the Joint Business Council between the two countries, and the Joint Council between the Egyptian and Pakistani Chambers of Commerce, to support economic, trade, and investment cooperation.
He also expressed interest in facilitating commercial and economic linkage between the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) and Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, and discussing the possibilities for localizing value-added industries in the Economic Zone.
