Egypt: President El-Sisi Meets the Speaker of Norway’s Parliament

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Speaker of Norway’s Parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, and members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense in Parliament. The meeting came as part of the President’s official visit to Norway, the second stop of his European tour.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said President El-Sisi underscored the pivotal role of parliamentary cooperation in enhancing dialogue among peoples. The President emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary relations between Egypt and Norway to serve their shared interest.

During the meeting, President El-Sisi confirmed the need to further advance parliamentary cooperation between the two countries through consultations, coordination, exchanges of visit and sharing expertise. The President stressed the importance of forging closer bilateral relations across all areas, notably in trade and investment. The talks focused on opportunities to boost Norwegian investments in sectors of priority for the two sides, primarily renewable and green energy. The meeting also discussed coordination between the two countries on climate change issues, counter-terrorism and combating illegal migration.

The discussions also touched on Egypt’s efforts to restore stability in the Middle East. The two sides affirmed the crucial need for an immediate ceasefire, the exchange of hostages and detainees, and providing access for desperately-needed humanitarian aid and relief into the Gaza Strip at adequate quantities. They also reiterated the importance of exerting efforts to prevent a deterioration of the situation and an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Norway’s parliamentarians lauded Egypt’s significant and wise role in the Middle East, confirming their country’s position in support of Egypt’s efforts in this regard.

The meeting also addressed the situation in Africa, and efforts to reinforce security and stability in the continent, particularly in Sudan and Somalia. It also reviewed opportunities for trilateral cooperation in Africa, and Egyptian companies’ expertise in this domain.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.