Moon Jae-in to pay 1st visit by S. Korea president to Egypt in 16 years

The visit comes within the framework of growing co-operation between the two countries, the ambassador said.

The visit by Korean President Moon Jae-in is the first in 16 years, he added, noting that it is part of the co-operative partnership agreement signed in March 2016 on the sidelines of President Sisi’s visit to South Korea.

During his visit, the Korean President will follow up existing projects and discuss future projects undertaken jointly by countries.

On January 20, the presidents of Egypt and Korea will hold a summit, the ambassador said.

Details of the summit will be published in the presence of journalists and international news agencies, the envoy said.

President Moon was due to come last year, but the visit was postponed due to Covid-19.

The visit will go ahead later this week despite the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday an official reception ceremony and the presidential summit will take place, followed by a conference to sign bilateral agreements in various fields, notably co-operation between South Korea and Egypt in the al-Dabaa nuclear project.

A press conference for the media of both countries will be held before luncheon for the presidents.

On Thursday January 20, afternoon, the Egyptian-Korean Round Table for Renewable Energy and Environmentally Friendly Industries will be held.

The ambassador said the two presidents had met three and a half years ago during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and since then the two leaders were in regular telephone contact to discuss bilateral relations.

President Moon’s visit to Egypt will be his first to an African country since he assumed office, the ambassador said, adding that Egypt is the centre of the Middle East and Africa, where South Korea seeks to develop co-operation in diverse fields.

The envoy went on to say that the visit comes in 2022, which is a special year for Egypt, as one of the best years when Egypt faced Covid-19 pandemic steadfastly and held the World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh.

This year is also witnessing the reception of the New Administrative Capital for many government institutions, of which many have relocated there already, the envoy said.

The year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Egyptian independence from British occupation, 100 years since the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, and 200 years since the decipherment of the hieroglyphs. This year will also see COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh.

President Moon Jae-in will make making an 8-day visit to the Middle East, which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in order to expand the business of Korean companies.