Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The Spokesman for the Presidency said that Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his pleasure to have President El-Sisi visit Armenia for the first time, affirming his country’s interest in developing relations with Egypt in light of its key role in the Middle East and Africa, as well as its independent and balanced foreign policy in dealing with complex challenges within its troubled regional surrounding.
Prime Minister Pashinyan also commended the historical and special relations that have always connected the two friendly countries and the momentum relations recently gained through the exchange of high-level visits, the most recent visit of which was the Armenian president’s participation in COP27.
President El-Sisi extended gratitude to the Armenian Prime Minister for the warm reception, expressing pleasure at visiting Armenia and interest to further enhance bilateral relations in an array of fields, given the firm and longstanding relations between Egypt and Armenia. The President lauded Armenia’s positive and valued stances with regard to Egypt as well as the remarkable development achieved in the two countries’ relations over the past period, in light of the mutual interest to promote bilateral relations toward broader prospects.
During the talks, the President reviewed progress in Egypt’s development plans and mega national projects which are currently being implemented, offering various investment opportunities. President El-Sisi confirmed his interest to achieve significant progress in bilateral relations. This includes in particular encouraging cooperation between the two countries’ business communities, in a manner that shall reflect on boosting trade and investment; and convening the sixth edition of the Egyptian-Armenian Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Cairo at the earliest time, given its role as an institutional mechanism for dialogue between the two countries. This is in addition to fostering closer cooperation in a multitude of promising areas, including energy, infrastructure, IT, food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as supporting Egypt’s efforts to establish a free trade zone with the Eurasian Economic Union, which will realize the two sides’ common interests.
The Spokesman added that views were exchanged on a number of regional issues and crises and their repercussions on Europe’s stability. Prime Minister Pashinyan valued Egypt’s relevant efforts to reach political solutions to various crises in the Middle East.
With regard to Eastern Europe and South Caucasus, both sides agreed on the need to intensify coordination and consultation on issues of common interest in this regard, especially developments of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and its global economic repercussions.
President El-Sisi and Prime Minister Pashinyan also agreed on the need to boost joint cooperation to combat illegal migration through a comprehensive approach and work to eliminate the main causes that encourage this phenomenon. This is in addition to reviewing the latest developments with regard to combating terrorism, which threatens various countries. Both sides confirmed that it was important for the international community to join efforts to address this phenomenon.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, The Arab Republic of Egypt.
