Assistant Minister of European Affairs & Deputy Speaker of Slovak National Council discuss regional volatiling situation and strenghtining bilateral relations
Ashraf AboArafe
At the beginning of the delegation’s visit to Egypt, Ambassador Dr. Badr Abdel Ati, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, received a Slovak Parliamentary delegation headed by Martin Kloss, Vice-President of the Slovak National Council with participation of “Katarina Chevalayova” the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council, and in the presence of the Slovak Ambassador in Cairo.
Both of them discussed aspects of bilateral relations between Egypt and Slovakia and ways of strengthening them in various fields, whether in the bilateral framework between the two countries or in the framework of regular consultations that Egypt is conducting with Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
The Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs clarified the Egyptian side’s aspiration to develop political, economic, trade and parliamentary relations between Egypt and Slovakia, reviewing in this context positive indicators of the Egyptian economy during nowadays, as well as promising opportunities for investment in Egypt, especially in the Suez Canal economic zone and projects implemented by the state in the infrastructure sector, as well as through the establishment of smart cities, noting that the Egyptian government has established 14 new cities at the present time, including the new administrative capital.
The two sides agreed on the importance of enhancing the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Slovakia, in order to advance commercial and investment potentials of the two countries, as the Egyptian side affirmed its aspiration to increase Slovak investments in the Egyptian market and benefit from the trade arrangements concluded by Egypt with many Arab and African countries, the most important of which is the free trade agreement African continent.
The Slovak side also expressed its desire to boost tourism movement between the two countries, praising in this regard the diversity of Egyptian tourist destinations and security boom that Egypt witnessed in the recent period.
In a related context, the Slovak side expressed its appreciation for the cooperation and communication between the Egyptian Parliament and the Slovak National Council, stressing Slovakia’s keenness to develop parliamentary cooperation with Egypt to reflect the good bilateral relations between the two countries.
The two sides also dealt with a number of issues of common concern, the most important of which is combating terrorism and addressing the issue of illegal immigration, as the vice-president of the Slovak National Council valued the successes achieved by Egypt in the field of combating terrorism, and limiting illegal immigration, expressing his country’s appreciation and gratitude for the success of Egypt In the prevention of the infiltration of any illegal immigration boats across its coast since September 2016, it has hosted nearly five million refugees and migrants from different countries.
Abdel Ati and Kloss also agreed on enhancing security and stability in the region by reaching a political settlement for the two crises in Libya and Syria, where the Egyptian side reviewed its vision of the means for a political settlement of the two crises, thus putting an end to the suffering of the brotherly Syrian and Libyan people and ending instability in the two countries.
In this context, the Egyptian side reaffirmed its rejection of the two false memoranda of understanding signed between Turkey and Fayez al-Sarraj, President of the Libyan Presidential Council in November 2019, and the non-recognition of any legal effects that may arise as a result of violating procedures for their conclusion of the Libyan political agreement signed in Skhoyrat in December 2015.
