Ashraf AboArafe
On Sunday, April 28, Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Mr. Mohamed Hassan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, within the framework of the friendly relations between the two countries.
In a statement by Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he indicated that the meeting reaffirmed the historical relations between Egypt and Malaysia, and praised the positive movement witnessed by Egyptian-Malaysian relations in recent years, through the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to Egypt and the meeting. Which he met with the President of the Republic in October of last year.
During the meeting, the common desire to continue strengthening joint cooperation frameworks was emphasized, and the importance of giving impetus to various aspects of bilateral relations, especially the economic and commercial component, and the extended cultural relations between the two countries. On the economic level, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed Egypt’s aspiration for Malaysian investors to benefit from the distinguished investment opportunities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, noting that Egypt’s distinguished geographical location makes it a regional center for trade and export in its regional surroundings.
On the other hand, the Malaysian Foreign Minister pointed out Malaysia’s great appreciation for the role of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, as large numbers of Malaysian students flock to Egypt in search of education in this ancient institution in various fields, which is appreciated by the Malaysian side.
The official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that a large part of the talks focused on developments in the situation in Gaza, as the Malaysian minister was keen to listen to Minister Shukri’s assessment of the latest developments in the crisis, and he expressed his country’s appreciation for the pivotal and important role played by Egypt since the first day of the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
In this context, Minister Shoukry renewed Egypt’s complete rejection of any military operation in the Palestinian Rafah, due to its serious humanitarian repercussions and disastrous consequences, and stressed the necessity of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and ensuring the continued access of humanitarian aid in a complete, safe and unhindered manner. He also expressed The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his regret for the Security Council’s inability to issue a resolution enabling the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations, and praised the important role played by Malaysia in its Asian surroundings to support the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people, as well as the humanitarian aid provided by the Malaysian government since the outbreak of the current crisis.
The two ministers agreed to continue close coordination at the political level regarding all regional and international issues of common interest and to enhance various aspects of bilateral cooperation in the interest of the two friendly peoples.
