ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has arrived in Cario for a two-day visit to Egypt after leaving on Tuesday morning upon an invitation by his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry.
The purpose of the two-day visit to the brotherly country is to hold in-depth discussions with his Shoukry on bilateral relations.
Upon arrival in Egypt, he was warmly received at Cairo airport by Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt Tariq Al-Wasmi, Charge d’Affaires at Pakistan’s Embassy in Cairo Shah Nazar Khan and senior officials.
Besides holding discussions with the Egyptian Foreign Minister and other senior officials for the promotion of bilateral relations and cooperation in diverse areas, Foreign Minister Qureshi will also hold a special meeting with the business community in Cairo.
During the visit, he will also visit the Headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo and hold a meeting with the secretary-general (SG) of the Arab League.
The visit of Foreign Minister is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and Egypt.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the visit comes on the back of the meetings held between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
The visit will include detailed consultations with Egyptian counterpart officials and with leading Egyptian businessmen and members of the Pakistani community, it had said earlier.
The visit is expected to further strengthen and diversify Pakistan’s bilateral ties with Egypt, noted the statement.
Before leaving, Qureshi, in a video message, said Egypt is an “important country of the Muslim ummah which is also known as Africa’s gateway”.
“Promotion of trade with African countries is amongst our government’s important priorities,” he said.
“The [Egypt] foreign minister has invited me and on that invitation, I am going to Egypt so we can re-engage with this important country.
It is our administration’s policy to strengthen our relations with the African continent since we believe we have not fully explored its markets yet. It is extremely important for our economic diplomacy to engage with markets in Africa.”
Imran and Sisi met on the sidelines of the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca in 2019 and then on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York later that year.
In May last, the premier held a telephone conversation with President Sisi regarding the “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries, which was proposed by Islamabad and was supported by Cairo.
During these meetings, the two leaders agreed to further bolster bilateral cooperation and enhance high-level exchanges, the statement recalled.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has on many occasions expressed its desire to enrich financial relations with countries in Africa by exploring its markets and increasing economic diplomacy.
Egypt plays a key role in the Middle East, while its deep linkages with the African continent make it a gateway to Africa, the statement said.
The two countries have similar perceptions on a range of regional and global issues, with more than 40 agreements signed between both sides in diverse fields, providing a firm basis for enhanced cooperation.
Bilateral cooperation is advanced through strong institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission, Annual Bilateral Consultations, and Joint Business Council, the statement added.
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