Qureshi to jet off on 3-day visit to Egypt

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will Tuesday (today) depart for Egypt on a three-day visit, which is expected to further strengthen and diversify bilateral cooperation and enhance high-level exchanges. “The foreign ministe will hold detailed consultations with his Egyptian counterpart and call on other dignitaries. He will also interact with leading Egyptian businessmen and members of the Pakistani community,” the Foreign Office announced on Monday.

The visit is taking place in the backdrop of meetings between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi; first, on the sidelines of OIC Makkah Summit in 2019, and then on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York in 2019.

Imran also had a telephone conversation with Al Sisi regarding his ‘Global Initiative on Debt Relief’ for developing countries, which was supported by Egypt. “Pakistan and Egypt enjoy close fraternal relations firmly anchored in common faith, culture and values. The two countries have similar perceptions on a range of regional and global issues,” added the Foreign Office.

Bilateral cooperation is advanced through strong institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission, Annual Bilateral Consultations, and Joint Business Council.

More than 40 agreements signed between the two sides in diverse fields provide a firm basis for enhanced cooperation. Pakistan and Egypt also work closely in multilateral arena, in particular the United Nations, OIC and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

“Egypt is an important country in the Middle East and Africa. It plays a key role in the Middle East, while its deep linkages with the African Continent make it a gateway to Africa,” said the Foreign Office.