Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry held a virtual meeting, on Monday, with his Sierra Leonean counterpart Nabeela Tunis, to discuss methods of advancing the bilateral relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, the two sides also consulted on a number of international issues of mutual concern to the two countries.
Ahmed Hafez, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry emphasised Egypt’s keenness to develop bilateral relations in various fields of cooperation. This focused particularly on promoting mutual trade and direct Egyptian investments in Sierra Leone, by encouraging Egyptian companies to expand their activities there.
Shoukry also praised the ongoing efforts to strengthen relations between the two countries, by signing a number of bilateral agreements, including cooperation in the fields of political consultation, culture, youth and sports.
Hafez added that the two ministers discussed the possibility of the Sierra Leonean side benefiting from Egyptian expertise in agriculture, fish farming, and education.
This is set to take place by increasing the number of Egyptian grants offered, especially in the medical field, and in the field of empowering women and youth. It will also see the encouragement of the partnership between the private and public sectors in the two countries.
Also during the meeting, the ministers reviewed the file of enlarging and reforming the Security Council and stressing the importance of African countries speaking with one voice. This takes into account the unified African position as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
Shoukry praised the role played by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, who acts as the coordinator for the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government (C-10). The committee acts as a means of promoting the African position on the issue of enlarging and reforming the African Union (AU) Commission.
