Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić have affirmed their common aspiration to advance bilateral relations and develop cooperation between the two countries.
During a joint press conference at the Ittihadiya Palace on Saturday, the leaders said they discussed various fields of collaboration, including political, economic, military, and cultural aspects. Notably, they emphasized the importance of activating the recently signed “free trade” agreement to boost economic and trade cooperation.
“We agreed, during our discussions today, on the importance of committing to strengthening long-term relations in all fields by activating the agreements that were signed today, especially the “free trade” agreement, which will contribute to significantly boosting the rates of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries,” Al-Sisi said.
Additionally, the leaders addressed international issues such as the Ukrainian crisis, developments in Sudan and Libya, and the Gaza Strip crisis. President Al-Sisi underscored Egypt’s commitment to an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, rejecting displacement and violence against civilians.
Vučić highlighted the benefits of the cooperation agreements for both nations, including joint exercises between their armed forces.
He said: “We touched on many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis. The cooperation agreements we signed today will benefit our two countries.”
During Vucic’s official visit to Cairo, Egypt and Serbia solidified and expanded their partnership by signing a series of trade and cooperation agreements. These agreements cover various sectors, including investment, trade, tourism, education, and culture, fostering enhanced collaboration and mutual growth.
At the core of these agreements is a comprehensive free trade agreement signed by Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khatib, and his Serbian counterpart, Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade, Tomislav Momirovic. This landmark deal is expected to significantly boost bilateral trade, which currently stands at approximately $500m annually.
In addition to the trade agreement, several other cooperation agreements were signed. These include a cooperation agreement between Cairo and Belgrade, signed by Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration, Badr Abdelaty, and Belgrade Mayor, Aleksandar Sapic, strengthening ties between the two capital cities.
Furthermore, a sister city agreement was established between Aswan, Egypt, and Uzice, Serbia, promoting cultural exchange and people-to-people connections. Another cooperation agreement bridges Damietta, Egypt, and Novi Sad, Serbia, encouraging economic partnerships and knowledge sharing.
The two nations also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of labour and employment, aiming to enhance workforce mobility and skills development. Additionally, there’s a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in communications and information technology between the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Serbian Ministry of Media, Culture, and Information, signed by the Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, and Serbian Minister of Media, Culture, and Information, Predrag Filipovic.
Lastly, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in antiquities and museums was signed between the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Ministry of Culture of Serbia. Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, and Minister Momirovic were also signatories to a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of museums between the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt and the Ethnographic Museum of Serbia.
