Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi underscored on Sunday Egypt’s keenness to elevate its comprehensive partnership with China in the coming period.
During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo Sunday, President Sisi noted that this year marks the 65th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with China. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and the Chinese Ambassador to Cairo attended the meeting.
“These 65 years contained an extended path of co-operation and coordination between the two countries in all fields,” the Egyptian leader said.
Egypt, he added, has also benefited from the Chinese experience, describing China as a “success story” the world studies diligently as far as comprehensive development efforts are concerned.
The visiting Chinese minister conveyed to President Sisi a verbal message from President Xi Ping, asserting China’s keenness to continue developing strategic relations with Egypt and expressing esteem for President Sisi and Egypt in the light of Egypt’s central role as a basic foundation for stability in the Middle East region, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said.
The message also noted China’s constant support of Egypt in its efforts to achieve comprehensive development, combat terrorism, and realise security and stability in the region, the spokesman added.
On bilateral co-operation between the two countries, the president and the Chinese foreign minister commended the highest level of coordination that the two countries have maintained since the eruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent signing of an agreement for the co-manufacture of the Chinese Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine, thereby augmenting Egypt’s national strategy to localise medicine and vaccine making industry, Spokesman Radi said.
Hopes were also expressed for the continuation of fruitful co-operation between the two countries at all levels with a view to enhancing international efforts in facing the consequences of the pandemic, Spokesman Radi said.
In the course of the meeting, President Sisi emphasised Egypt’s keenness to benefit from China’s distinguished expertise in supporting development programmes and activities as well as national projects, especially in the light of the modern infrastructure Egypt boasts at present. Such projects and programmes, the president noted, complement the Chinese ‘Belt and Road’ initiative.
The Egyptian leader also referred to the importance of the Chinese-Egyptian Economic and Trade Co-operation Zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone).
The Chinese-Egyptian zone is a model for successful investment co-operation between the two countries, the president said.
Talks between President Sisi and Foreign Minister Wang also tackled the latest developments of Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam issue, Ambassador Radi said. In this regard, President Sisi stressed Egypt’s constant position of preserving its water security as represented in its historical rights to the water of the Nile River, through reaching a legally-binding accord on filling and operating the Ethiopian dam in such a way that realises the interests of all countries in all fairness.
The Chinese foreign minister explained that his country fully understands the utmost importance that Egypt attaches to the River Nile; hence China’s sustained interest in achieving such a solution to this issue in such a manner that fulfills the interests of all parties, Spokesman Radi said.
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