President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s goal to maintain the current calm in the eastern Mediterranean and resolve disagreements between riparian countries in the region for the benefit of its peoples.
This came during President El-Sisi’s open remarks at the joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday.
During the press conference, President El-Sisi affirmed his aspiration for further regional cooperation to leverage the region’s natural resources for the prosperity of all its people.
The Egyptian president said he was delighted to undertake his first visit to Turkey, stressing that the visit constitutes the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation between both countries.
“On behalf of Egypt, I convey sentiments filled with cordiality, amity and appreciation as we take pride in the historical relations and the common civilizational and cultural heritage that bring us together,” El-Sisi stated.
He noted that cooperation between the Egyptian and Turkish peoples has progressed over the past years, especially in tourism, trade, and investment.
“Our discussions also emphasised the importance of facilitating intra-trade and expanding the scope of the free trade agreement between Egypt and Turkey to increase trade to $15 billion in the coming years,” El-Sisi explained.
The Turkish president in turn described his visit to Cairo last February as a “new turning point” for the relations between both countries.
He also encouraged Turkish businessmen to operate in Egypt and extended a warm invitation for Egyptian businessmen to conduct business in Turkey.
Agreement on Gaza
During the presser, President El-Sisi said he agreed with Erdogan on the importance of close coordination between Egypt and Turkey to find political solutions to several regional crises.
In his remarks, El-Sisi deplored the unprecedented tragedy that has befallen the Palestinian people for nearly a year.
“I would like to underscore the shared and unified stance of both Egypt and Turkey regarding the demand for an immediate and urgent ceasefire and rejecting the current Israeli escalation in the West Bank,” said the Egyptian president.
In addition, he called for launching a process that would fulfil the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state based on the 4 June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, per the relevant international resolutions.
“Our countries have cooperated since the beginning of the crisis to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza despite the continuing obstacles imposed by Israel,” noted El-Sisi.
For his part, the Turkish president said that he and El-Sisi have agreed to hold consultations regularly to resolve regional issues, especially the conflict in Gaza.
He noted that the situation in Palestine was at the centre of their meeting in Ankara.
“The termination of the genocide that has been going on for 11 months, the immediate establishment of a permanent ceasefire, and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid continue to be our priorities,” Erdogan stressed.
Libya, Syria, Sudan
Beyond the Gaza war, El-Sisi and Erdogan also exchanged views on the crisis in Libya, where they agreed to work towards achieving security and political stability there.
“We reiterated the need to close the chapter on this protracted crisis by holding simultaneous presidential and legislative elections, withdrawing illegitimate foreign forces and mercenaries from the country, and ending the phenomenon of armed militias, thus enabling Libya to overcome division and achieve lasting security and stability,” El-Sisi explained.
Regarding the situation in Syria, both leaders emphasised their commitment to solving a crisis that has gravely affected the Syrian people in an unprecedented manner.
“We welcome the efforts of rapprochement between Turkey and Syria as we ultimately aim to achieve a political solution and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people in line with the UN Security Council resolution,” the Egyptian President stressed.
In addition, both leaders addressed the Sudanese crisis and Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire and promote a political solution.
They also discussed the situation in the Horn of Africa, notably Somalia, and affirmed the need to preserve Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity amid threats.
According to President Erdogan, Egypt and Turkey agree on several regional issues and their contributions to regional peace and stability are vital.
Bilateral Agreements
Before the press conference, both leaders witnessed the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements between Egypt and Turkey in industry, urban planning, competitive policy, higher education, railways, civil aviation, information, and communications technology.
The agreements also covered the areas of health and medical sciences, project development, capacity building, finance, and economy. They also covered other areas such as energy, labour and employment, environmental protection, and agriculture.
“Today we witnessed the signing of several MoUs to establish a new institutional framework for cooperation between our two countries,” El-Sisi said.
Both leaders also chaired the first high-level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting to advance trade, investment, tourism, transportation, and agriculture between Egypt and Turkey.
According to the Central Bank of Egypt, trade between Egypt and Turkey has significantly increased over the past two years, following the end of a decade of strained relations, recording nearly $2 billion in the first half of 2024.
President El-Sisi arrived in Ankara earlier on Wednesday on a historic visit to Turkey that ushers in a new era of friendship and cooperation between both nations.
El-Sisi’s visit, the first since assuming the presidency in 2014, builds on the progress made during Erdogan’s trip to Cairo in February, his first in over a decade.
Source: Ahram Online
