Foreign Minister Ali Sabry engages in bilateral talks in Cairo to enhance ties between Sri Lanka and Egypt

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry undertook an official visit to Egypt from 07-11 August 2024 at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt Dr. Badr Abdelatty.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry held productive discussions with his counterpart Dr. Badr Abdelatty and reviewed bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Egypt.  Both sides noted the potential to expand the relations between the two countries by fostering closer links in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, education, culture, archaeology, maritime transport, renewable energy, and climate change. The two Ministers also discussed on regional and global issues of shared interest and on further strengthening cooperation in multilateral fora.

Upon completion of the bilateral talks, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry joined Egyptian Foreign Minister      Dr. Badr Abdelatty in the signing ceremony of the MoU between the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) and the Institute for Diplomatic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt. The MoU aims to strengthen and consolidate cooperation in the fields of diplomatic training, capacity building, research and studies in diplomacy between the two countries.

Minister Sabry engaged in discussions with Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib and the President of the General Authority of Free Zones and Investment (GAFI) on avenues to enhance cooperation in trade and investment between the two countries and took note of prospective sectors of mutual interest, the importance of exchange of trade delegations and early convening of trade consultations mechanism. During these interactions, the Egyptian side commended on Sri Lankan private sector investments in Egypt and asserted their fullest cooperation to boost Sri Lankan investments in Egypt and overcome any challenges they may face.

During the visit, Minister Ali Sabry met with His Eminence Dr. Shawky Ibrahim Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt and exchanged views on matters related to religious cooperation, cultural links, combating extremism&radicalization, promoting peaceful coexistence and enhancing closer people-to-people ties between Sri Lanka and Egypt.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry also participated in an event organized by the Cairo Chamber of Commerce in coordination with the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce on enhancing trade and economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Egypt. The event entailed a constructive discussion on ways of unleashing untapped potential to expand trade and investment between the two countries, particularly in sectors of agriculture, apparel, IT, renewable energy and tourism. Foreign Minister Sabry made use of this opportunity to invite the Egyptian business community to explore enticing trade and investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka for the mutual growth and prosperity of the two countries.

The Minister also met with Ambassador Mohamed Al-Orabi, Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA) along with a group of its members and engaged in a discussion on developments in the region and possible cooperation with the ECFA.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka.