Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi highlighted yesterday what he described as ‘extended’ relations with Serbia, signalling determination to enhance these relations in the coming period.
Following a meeting in Cairo with Serbian President, AleksandarVučić, the Egyptian leader underscored a common desire for strengthening bilateral relations.
“President Vučić’s visit to Cairo is the first in 15 years,” President Sisi said.
“It reflects mutual interest in bolsteringthe historicalfriendshipbetween our two countries,” he added at a joint press briefing at the Presidential Palace in Cairo.
President Sisi noted that Egypt and Serbia have had diplomatic relations since 1908.
Since then, he said, the two countries have had extendedcooperationin multilateral frameworks through their prominentrole in founding the Non-AlignedMovement.
“I assureyou, MrPresident, that Egyptvaluesthe rich traditionsand the ancient history of the people of Serbia,” President Sisi said.
“We lookforward to sharing our different experiences and exchanging expertise in favour of promotingpeaceand stability in the regionand the world,” he added.
He noted that his discussions with President Vučić focused on Egypt’s and Serbia’s joint aspiration to move ahead with cementing their relations, using the current momentum in these relations.
The Egyptian president added that relations between the two countries acquired this momentum following his visit to Belgrade in 2022.
The visit, he said, reflected theboom in the pace of cooperation with Serbia in the political; economic; military, and cultural fields.
“It is importantto establisha solid foundation to developcomprehensiverelationsbetween Egyptand Serbia,” President Sisi said.
He added that he agreed with President Vučićon the need for promoting long-termrelations between their two countries in all these fields.
This would be achieved, the president said, through the enforcement of the agreements signed by the officials concerned in both countries during President Vučić’s visit to Cairo.
President Sisi especially referred to the Free TradeAgreement between Egypt and Serbia.
This agreement, he said, would contributetosignificantly to boosting economic and trade cooperationbetween the two countries.
The Egyptian leader also cited the importance of regular meetings between officials from the two countries for putting bilateral cooperation mechanisms into action.
He referred to political consultations committee and the Egyptian-SerbianJointCommitteefor Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.
President Sisi expressed, meanwhile, hopes for strengthening cooperation with Serbia in the investment, agriculture, tourism, telecommunications and Information Technology sectors.
He noted that his talks with President Vučićalso tackled a wide range of regional and international issues, including the crisis in Ukraine and the need to bring about peace as soon as possible.
“We also discussed the developments in Sudan and Libya and the current crisis in the Gaza Strip,” President Sisi said.
He noted that he reiterated the Egyptianpositionwhich is basedon the imperative of achieving an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza.
Egypt, President Sisi said,categoricallyrejectsall forms of displacement and attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause, and the targeting of civilians.
The Egyptian president called for suspending Israeli settler violence.
Egypt, he said, would not allow the Rafah crossing on the border between Sinai and Gaza to be used as a tool for tightening Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian territory.
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