Ashraf AboArafe
Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, Hakan Fidan, on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Minister Shoukri praised the positive results that resulted from the visit made by the Turkish President to Egypt during this month, which is the first of its kind after restoring bilateral relations to their normal level, expressing Egypt’s aspiration to the next stage will witness strengthening the course of bilateral relations between the two countries and pushing them to broader horizons in all fields, in the interest of the peoples of both countries, and contributing to restoring security and stability in the region.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Minister Shukry stressed the importance that Egypt attaches to enhancing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries, as well as the interest in working to continue strengthening Turkish investments in Egypt and diversifying their fields, to benefit from the multiple advantages available to Egypt, and to achieve mutual benefit between the two parties. . The Foreign Minister also conveyed Egypt’s interest in enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism, and looking forward to receiving more incoming Turkish tourist traffic.
Ambassador Abu Zeid explained that the meeting also touched on the importance of continuing the existing coordination between the two countries in connection with the Israeli aggression witnessed in the Gaza Strip, as well as the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve the establishment of a Palestinian state on the pre-June 5, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The importance of continuing diligent efforts to prevent the expansion of the war in Gaza was stressed, through an immediate ceasefire in the Strip, unconditional access to humanitarian aid, and the resumption of the peace process.
The official spokesman added that the two ministers exchanged views on many regional and international issues, which included the Libyan file, ways to settle the Syrian crisis, and the ongoing efforts to restore stability in Sudan, as well as the food crisis that broke out against the backdrop of the Ukrainian war.
For his part, the Turkish Foreign Minister touched on the great positive development that relations between the two countries have witnessed in the recent period, which pushed the path of bilateral cooperation to return to its distinguished nature, which must be built upon during the coming period by pushing the various aspects of cooperation to new levels. Welcome, which reflects the strong historical roots that surround the relations of friendship and brotherhood between Cairo and Ankara. Mr. Fidan also added that it is very important to continue consultation and coordination between the two parties regarding various regional and international issues, in a way that enhances joint efforts to establish peace and stability in the entire region.
