Ashraf AboArafe
MANILA — At the start of his visit to Manila, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates, met on Wednesday, July 22, with Mr. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Manila.
Both ministers praised the growth of Egypt–Sri Lanka relations in recent years, expressing a shared desire to build on this momentum and enhance consultation and coordination mechanisms to reflect the deep historical ties between the two nations. Minister Abdelatty highlighted Egypt’s interest in maintaining active bilateral cooperation frameworks—particularly regular political consultations between the two foreign ministries and stronger parliamentary engagement—to elevate relations across various sectors.
Minister Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s desire to boost Sri Lankan investment in the Egyptian market, encouraging investors to capitalize on promising opportunities, particularly within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) and its attractive incentives for foreign capital. He welcomed the interest shown by major Sri Lankan garment and textile companies in expanding their operations in Egypt, emphasizing the government’s commitment to overcoming obstacles for investors, growing bilateral trade, and revitalizing the joint Business Council.
Furthermore, Abdelatty commended the ongoing cooperation in tourism and antiquities, underscoring the importance of activating the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and utilizing Egyptian expertise to train and qualify professionals in these sectors. He also reiterated Egypt’s readiness to strengthen counter-terrorism and anti-extremism efforts with Sri Lanka, drawing on Al-Azhar Al-Sharif’s role in promoting moderate Islamic thought through sending imams and educators to Sri Lankan religious and educational institutions.
The two ministers also addressed several regional and international issues of mutual interest. Minister Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s perspective on key regional challenges, stressing the need for intensified international efforts to de-escalate tensions, prioritize political and diplomatic solutions, and foster regional security. He listened to Minister Herath’s assessment of developments in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia, as both sides exchanged views on the latest regional dynamics.
For his part, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister reaffirmed his country’s commitment to advancing ties with Egypt, praising Egypt’s prominent regional and international standing. He expressed Sri Lanka’s eagerness to enhance bilateral cooperation across economic, investment, and cultural spheres, while maintaining coordination on issues of common concern.
