Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sign a joint declaration on restructuring meetings of the high-level strategic cooperation council in Cairo, 14 February 2024. Photo: AFP
Feb 14,
2024. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his
Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a joint declaration on
Wednesday on restructuring meetings of the high-level strategic cooperation
council.
According to the Egyptian Presidency Spokesperson, Ahmed Fahmy, both presidents held an expanded session of talks on the joint efforts towards fostering closer bilateral relations.
During a
press conference with his Turkish counterpart at Cairo's Ittihadiya Palace,
El-Sisi welcomed Erdoğan and the accompanying delegation, expressing his will
to open a new chapter between the two countries to enrich relations between
Egypt and Turkiye.
El-Sisi
further said he takes pride in the cultural and historical relations between
the two nations, noting that communication between the citizens of the two
countries never ceased during the past ten years.
Furthermore,
he said that bilateral trade and investment relations witnessed steady growth
during that period, noting that Egypt is currently Turkiye's first trading
partner in Africa and that Turkiye is one of the most important destinations
for Egyptian exports.
"This
has proven the great feasibility of joint work between the business sectors of
the two countries," El-Sisi said, adding that both countries are seeking
to raise trade exchange to $15 billion over the next few years, enhance joint
investments, and explore new fields of cooperation.
El-Sisi
concluded by saying he looks forward to accepting Erdoğan’s invitation to visit
Turkiye next April.
For his
part, Erdoğan said he was pleased to visit Cairo and appreciated the warm
reception. He added that he looks forward to promoting relations with Egypt,
noting that the two countries now work together through a high-level strategic
cooperation council.
"We
share a common history with Egypt of over a thousand years," said the
Turkish President during the press conference. He also said he was keen on
fostering relations with Cairo and found a reciprocated will on the Egyptian
side.
Erdoğan
said El-Sisi's visit to Turkiye in April will witness the commencement of the
first meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council, which will
represent "a new stage in Egyptian-Turkish relations."
"We
are determined to raise the volume of Turkiye's investments in Egypt by up to
$3 billion," said Erdoğan. He also pointed out that the two countries
have considerable potential for cooperation, especially in energy, tourism,
education, and culture.
The Turkish
President also exchanged views with El-Sisi on increasing cooperation in the
military and defence industry, citing Turkiye's "strength" in the
field.
He also
highlighted that the "Yunus Emre" institute in Cairo has the highest
number of foreign students studying Turkish worldwide since around 22,000
Egyptian students have enrolled in the Cairo branch to study Turkish.
Furthermore,
Erdoğan wished a speedy recovery for those injured following the landslide that
hit a gold mine in eastern Turkiye on Tuesday. He also extended condolences for
those who lost their lives and affirmed that the Turkish ministers of energy
and interior are following up on that incident.
Early
Wednesday, El-Sisi received Erdoğan at Cairo International Airport.
This is the first visit to Egypt by the Turkish president since
2012. Former Egyptian ambassador to Ankara Abdel-Rahman Salah said the
visit represents an opportunity to create a new alliance to confront
the issues besetting the region.
According
to the Head of the Egyptian side at the Egypt-Turkiye Business Council, Adel
El-Lamey, the two countries are discussing trade exchange in local currencies.
Turkish
investments in Egypt stood at more than $2.5 billion by April 2023, Egyptian
Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir said in a statement on Tuesday.
Trade
exchange between both countries hit $5.875 billion in 2023, with Egypt's
exports to Turkiye growing by 28 percent, compared to 2022, recording $2.9
billion.
According
to the Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry, Turkiye became one of the
largest importers of Egyptian goods and a principal trade partner of Egypt in
2023.
Ahram online