Bilateral trade to hit $15b within 5 years
Cairo, Ankara call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Situation in Libya, Somalia, Sudan top agenda
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said the first visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Egypt in 10 years means the two countries can “open a new page” in their relationship to strengthen co-operation on all levels.
“I would first like to welcome His Excellency Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his first visit to Egypt in more than 10 years, so that we can open together a new page between our two countries in a way that enriches our bilateral relationship and puts it on the right track,” President Sisi said in a press conference at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo on Wednesday.
“I affirm our pride and appreciation for our historical relations with Türkiye and the shared cultural and civilizational heritage and cultural heritage between us,” President Sisi said.
“President Erdogan and I agreed on the necessity of reaching an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and achieving calm in the West Bank so that the peace process can be resumed as soon as possible leading to the declaration of a sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with the relevant international legitimacy resolutions, ” President El-Sisi said.
President Sisi noted that Türkiye is one of the most important destinations for Egyptian exports.
“Egypt is currently Türkiye’s first trading partner in Africa, and experience has proven the success of joint ventures,” he said.
President Sisi added that Egypt and Türkiye aim to increase bilateral trade to $15 billion within the next few years. He emphasised the state’s efforts to promote joint investments and open new avenues for cooperation.
President Sisi said he agreed with Erdogan on the need to strengthen consultation between Egypt and Türkiye on the Libya file to help in holding presidential and legislative elections and unify Libya’s military institution.
“We expect our success in achieving political and security stability in Libya to represent a model to emulate,” Sisi stated.
He added that the countries of the region are better able to understand the complexities of the Libyan file and ways to resolve the existing disputes therein.
President Sisi welcomed the current calm in the Eastern Mediterranean region, saying he looks forward to building on it to resolve the existing differences between the riparian countries in the region.
“This will enable all of us to cooperate and make the most of the natural resources available there,” Sisi stated.
Sisi said he and Erdogan also stressed their common interest in cooperating in Africa, supporting the continent’s development efforts, and achieving stability and prosperity.
Addressing the press conference, President Erdogan stressed that Egypt and Turkey share a common history of over a thousand years, voicing hopes to further bolster bilateral ties.
Türkiye believes that the Egyptian side has the will to improve co-operation, which was raised to the level of the “High-level Strategic Cooperation Council”.
Erdogan said that he is looking forward for Sisi’s visit to Türkiye for the first meeting of the council, which will usher in a new stage in bilateral relations.
Sisi and Erdogan signed a common declaration for the formation of the Egyptian-Turkish “High-level Strategic Cooperation Council”.
President Sisi said he is looking forward to fulfilling Erdogan’s invitation to visit Turkey in April, to carry on with elevating ties in all fields, in line with their common history and civilization heritage.
The Turkish president said talks with President Sisi included setting a goal of raising bilateral trade to $15 billion, and stressed the intention to increase Turkish investments in Egypt, which now stand at about $3 billion. The two leaders also exchanged views on the potential of further bolstering bilateral co-operation in economy, trade, energy, defence industries, tourism, education and culture.
President Erdogan said that the “human tragedy in Gaza,” topped the agenda of the talks with President Sisi, as the Israeli attacks claimed the lives of more than 28,000 Palestinians, and leaving more than 70,000 injured.
Churches, mosques, schools, houses, UN premises, have been targeted as the administration of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carries on with a policy of committing massacres, despite the global reactions to this, Erdogan said, reviewing his country’s support and assistance to Palestinians amid the ongoing war.
The Turkish President voiced rejection to displacing the Palestinians from Gaza, and appreciated Egypt’s stand in this regard.
He urged Netanyahu to stop the massacres against Palestinians, and not to drive them to Rafah, urging the international community to intervene and prevent such “crazy behaviour”.
Erdogan said that his country would carry on with co-operation with Egypt to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, and later to reconstruct the Strip.
The Turkish president noted that he had discussed with President Sisi the situation in Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, and stressed his keenness on the unity, security, and stability of the three countries.
