Ashraf AboArafe writes ✍️
Uzbekistan has been very famous among Egyptians since ancient times as the Transoxiana country, and its people are linked to the peoples of the Arab countries, especially Egypt, by many historical, cultural and religious ties. Cairo still preserves some of the achievements of scholars and figures from Uzbekistan, and there are many evidences and monuments that illustrate the depth of historical relations between the two countries, such as the “Nilometer” in Cairo, which was established by “Ahmed Al-Farghani”, as well as the “Ibn Tulun” Mosque, which is one of the largest mosques in Egypt in terms of area, and the “Uzbek Garden”, which was established by “Sayf al-Din Uzbek al-Yusufi”.
* Egypt, the first to recognize independence of Uzbekistan
Egypt was one of the first countries to open an embassy in Tashkent in 1993, after the independence of this modern state following the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, of which it was one of the components, as Egypt was the first Arab country to recognize the independence of Uzbekistan on 12/26/1991, and diplomatic relations were established between the two countries by signing the joint statement in this regard on 1/23/1992, while Uzbekistan opened its embassy in Cairo in 1995.
* Presidents exchange congratulations!
On 6/28/2023, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who congratulated the President on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, wishing Egypt, its government and people, progress and prosperity. For his part, the President expressed his gratitude for the congratulations and the generous gesture from the Uzbek President, praying to God to return this occasion to Uzbekistan and the entire Islamic nation with goodness And blessings.
* Egypt receives President Mirziyoyev!
On 20/2/2023, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, visited Egypt, where he was received by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the two presidents issued a joint statement on strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Uzbekistan reflecting the importance that the two countries attach to strengthening relations between them, during which His Excellency will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Investment, Trade and Industry, Energy, Health, Tourism and Culture, as well as a number of senior officials of the Uzbek government.
* Trust & understanding!
The two presidents held talks in an atmosphere of trust and understanding, where views were exchanged on bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest, and they expressed their appreciation for the cooperation between the two sides at the bilateral level and in international forums. The two presidents also noted the importance of the timing of the visit, as the two countries celebrate the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
* Common desire!
Based on the historical ties between the two countries, ways to strengthen relations were discussed, as the two presidents stressed the common desire to develop cooperation at all political, commercial, economic, investment, cultural and scientific levels.
* Solid foundation!
The two sides stressed that the implementation of the agreements reached during the official visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as those reached during President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to Uzbekistan in 2018, will lay a solid foundation for expanding cooperation frameworks in all areas.
* International forums!
The two presidents expressed their satisfaction with the level of coordination between the two countries in international forums, including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and other international and regional forums, and stressed the importance of maintaining continued mutual support and close cooperation in international and regional forums on all issues of common interest.
* Peace and stability!
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan praised the efforts made by the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt to establish peace and stability in the Middle East, especially in terms of finding a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian issue, and working to restore stability in Libya. The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt praised the policy of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which aims to create an atmosphere of mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness in the Central Asian region. The two presidents also stressed the need to support security and stability in Afghanistan, and not to allow safe havens for terrorists and extremists there. They stressed the need to continue international efforts to combat terrorism. The two sides also expressed the importance of supporting relief efforts and humanitarian work in Afghanistan to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
* Regional and multilateral levels!
The two sides stressed the importance of all countries respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, the principles of good neighborliness, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, and resolving disputes peacefully at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.
* A dialogue partner!
The Uzbek side expressed its great welcome to Egypt’s accession to the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” as a “dialogue partner” during the period of Uzbekistan’s presidency of the organization during the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” summit held in Samarkand on September 15-16, 2022, and stressed its readiness to continue developing coordination between Egypt and Uzbekistan within the framework of the organization.
* legislative and supervisory roles!
The two sides agreed to develop relations between the parliaments of the two countries, especially with regard to strengthening the activities of the friendship groups, and exchanging experiences in the legislative and supervisory roles.
* ‘Loss and Damage’!
Mr. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated Mr. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Egypt’s successful hosting of the 27th session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Sharm el-Sheikh in November 2022, especially with regard to the establishment of the “Loss and Damage Fund” to assist developing countries vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change. The Uzbek President also welcomed the launch of the “Global Green Hydrogen Forum” and expressed his country’s readiness to cooperate on issues of climate adaptation, combating desertification, and ways to enhance reliance on renewable energy.
* “Egypt’s Vision 2030”.. appreciated!
The Uzbek side expressed its great appreciation for the comprehensive reforms implemented within the framework of “Egypt’s Vision 2030 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” and social programs such as “Takaful and Karama” and “Decent Life”, as well as initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and attracting foreign investment. The Egyptian side also expressed appreciation for the “New Uzbekistan” strategy and the ambitious reform process initiated by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
* Dialogue with youth!
The two leaders agreed on the need to pay attention to dialogue with youth, and welcomed the initiatives launched to establish platforms and forums for dialogue with youth, listen to their concerns, and qualify them for leadership positions. In this regard, the Uzbek President praised the Presidential Program for Youth Leadership, which was launched in September 2015, as well as the presidential initiative to launch and host World Youth Forums in Egypt under the auspices of the President of the Republic since 2017. President Sisi welcomed Uzbekistan’s initiative to host an international youth forum for the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in April 2023.
* ‘Trade exchange’ strengthed!
The two sides agreed to strengthen trade, investment and economic relations, and work to increase trade exchange between the two countries and mutual investments, and stressed the importance of strengthening the activities of the Joint Committee for Scientific, Economic and Technical Cooperation, and strengthening the activities of the Egyptian-Uzbek Business Forum. They also welcomed the signing of a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding in many fields.
* Infrastructure wlcomed!
The Egyptian President welcomed the important steps taken by Uzbekistan in the field of infrastructure, especially in implementing ambitious future regional infrastructure projects that will contribute to enhancing trade movement between Uzbekistan and various countries of the world.
* Egypt and Uzbek tourists!
The two sides welcomed Egypt’s classification in 2022 as one of the most important tourist destinations for Uzbek citizens, and the increase in the number of direct flights between the two countries, and stressed the need to enhance joint efforts to develop tourism and aviation movement between the two countries, and to provide all possible facilities and required facilitations to achieve this.
* Educational institutions!
The two presidents agreed to enhance cooperation between universities and all educational institutions in the two countries. The Uzbek side welcomed the participation of professors from Egyptian universities in teaching the Arabic language at the Tashkent University of Oriental Studies, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy.
*Cultural ties!
The two presidents affirmed their commitment to continue deepening cultural ties between the two peoples, and their support for intensifying mutual participation in cultural and artistic events in the two countries, and organizing cultural days, exhibitions, art festivals, folklore troupe performances, and tourist exhibitions in Cairo and Tashkent to enhance human and cultural rapprochement between the two peoples.
Al-Azhar X terrorism!
The two presidents expressed their deep concern over the spread of terrorism as one of the most serious security threats to humanity. The two leaders also condemned the use of religion to justify, support, or sponsor terrorism. They stressed the importance of the international community coordinating efforts to eliminate terrorism. The two presidents called for working to eradicate terrorist networks and their safe havens, eliminate their infrastructure and financing channels, prevent terrorists’ cross-border movements, and confront extremist organizations’ attempts to use the Internet and social media to sow extremism among young people and recruit terrorist cadres. They stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to confront these risks and challenges.
The Uzbek side stressed the importance of the role played by prestigious religious institutions in Egypt, headed by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, in combating extremist thought and attempts to link it to the Islamic religion. He also expressed his appreciation for the invitation to Uzbekistan to participate in the two conferences hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt on “Religious Extremism: The Intellectual and Strategic Basis for Overcoming It” (June 7-9, 2022) and “Fatwa and Sustainable Development Goals” (October 17-18, 2022).
The two sides welcomed the expansion of the framework of cooperation between the religious institutions of the two countries to work on preventing the spread of extremist ideas, including studying the establishment of cooperation between the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta and the Fatwa Center of the Muslim Administration of Uzbekistan; and enhancing the participation of Uzbek imams and preachers in training courses organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments.
* An official visit!
The talks were held in an atmosphere of cordiality and trust to strengthen relations between the two countries. President Mirziyoyev thanked President Sisi for the warm welcome and hospitality. He also extended a kind invitation to President Sisi to pay an official visit to Uzbekistan, and the two leaders agreed to continue interaction at all levels.
* A strong push and a joint keenness!
On 2/18/2023, the Chairman of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mohamed El-Araby, confirmed that Egyptian-Uzbekistani relations have witnessed a strong push in recent years and a joint keenness to enhance cooperation in a number of joint files, most notably the economy and investment file. El-Araby stressed, in his speech before the roundtable organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Cairo – in cooperation with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs under the title: “Uzbekistan and Egypt: Prospects for Joint Cooperation” – that Egypt and Uzbekistan are linked by strong and distinguished historical and cultural relations. The Chairman of the Council for Foreign Affairs highlighted the convergence of political visions between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, especially since both presidents have an interest in a major focus on sustainable development. The roundtable, with the participation of Ambassador Mansourbek Kilchev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan in Cairo, discussed three axes: “Egypt and Uzbekistan… Shared History and Continuous Cooperation”, “Egypt and Uzbekistan and the Role of Presidential Diplomacy”, and “Egypt and Uzbekistan… Towards Broader Horizons for Cooperation”.
On 01/09/2023, Ambassador Amira Fahmy, Ambassador of Egypt in Tashkent, met with Bakhtiar Saidov, the new Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields during the coming period between the two countries.
* Terrorism and extremism!
The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan praised the long-standing close relations between the two countries, expressing his country’s great appreciation for the existing close cooperation, especially in the fields of combating terrorism and extremism and training Uzbek cadres within the framework of important training courses organized by the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development, welcoming the active cooperation between Egyptian and Uzbek universities.
* Anniversary of independence!
On 9/3/2022, Ambassador Vladimir Norov, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, received Ambassador Amira Fahmy, Ambassador of Egypt to Uzbekistan. The Egyptian Ambassador congratulated him on the thirty-first anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and delivered to him the invitation extended by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan, to participate in the World Leaders Summit on November 7-8, 2022 during the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP27, scheduled to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh. The two sides also discussed prospects for intensifying cooperation in the field of economic diplomacy, including by encouraging direct contacts between business circles, organizing business forums, and implementing investment projects in the fields of spinning, weaving, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and other industries, and working to overcome obstacles that may hinder trade exchange and registration of Egyptian medicines in Uzbekistan and increasing direct flights between the two countries. – On 8/31/2022, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Cairo, Mansurbek Kelechiev, stressed the pivotal role of Egypt, which is a fundamental pillar for establishing the foundations of peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa region, in light of its important role in the Middle East peace issue and reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He described the relations between Egypt and Uzbekistan as friendly relations based on mutual trust, and the historical and cultural commonalities between the Egyptian and Uzbek peoples constitute a solid foundation for enhancing bilateral cooperation. He stressed that Egypt is a promising partner for Uzbekistan and a gateway to markets in Africa, noting that his country is celebrating this year the thirty-first anniversary of its independence, which coincided with the thirtieth anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with Egypt on January 23, 1992. Regarding the mutual visits, he said that the high-level talks held between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent on September 4 and 5, 2018, gained historical importance and raised bilateral relations to a new level; The visit witnessed the signing of 11 official cooperation documents and the conclusion of contracts worth $483 million. The two presidents also held an important friendly meeting last February in Beijing on the sidelines of the official opening of the Winter Olympics, indicating the steady development of political contacts and cooperation. Regarding the meetings, Kilichev stated that Cairo hosted the tenth round of political consultations between the two countries last May, and a roadmap was agreed upon to support bilateral cooperation, in addition to the participation of the Uzbek delegation during the period from March 2 to 4 in the 70th session of the Cairo Fashion & Tex International Textile Exhibition in Cairo, while Egyptian businessmen and leaders of major companies participated in the first Tashkent International Investment Forum held in Tashkent. – On 7/14/2020, the second round of political consultations between Egypt and Uzbekistan was held, where the consultations were headed from the Egyptian side by Ambassador Dr. Hani Selim, Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs, and from the Uzbek side, Deputy Foreign Minister Farkhat Sidikov. The talks addressed ways to develop areas of joint cooperation between the two countries, especially exchanging views on opportunities to enhance trade exchange and cooperation in the fields of energy, health, medicine and agriculture, in light of the enormous potential available in the two countries, which must be invested in to advance relations to broader horizons. The two sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the cultural field, reflecting the high-level historical and civilizational potential enjoyed by the two countries. In this regard, the civilizational role played by Egypt in the region through Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, which is considered a platform for spreading enlightened and moderate Islam, was emphasized. – On 4/23/2020, the Official Gazette published President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s decision No. 542 of 2018 approving the agreement between the governments of Egypt and Uzbekistan on exemption from obtaining entry visas for holders of diplomatic passports, signed in Tashkent on September 5, 2018. The agreement aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and the Republic of Uzbekistan and enhance friendly and cooperative relations between them, and exempt citizens of the two countries holding valid diplomatic passports from obtaining a prior visa to enter the territory of the other country for the purpose of visiting or residing for a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of entry.
– On 9/5/2018, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Uzbekistan, where he was received by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan. The two sides discussed ways of joint cooperation to combat terrorism, extremist ideology and organized crime, including intensifying consultations and exchanging information between the relevant security agencies in this regard. The discussions touched on a number of regional issues of common interest, as the two sides agreed on the need to intensify cooperation between Islamic countries for the benefit of the peoples of those countries.
* Political solutions!
The importance of reaching political solutions to the various crises that the Middle East and Central Asia regions are going through, based on the principles of non-interference in the affairs of states, respect for their sovereignty over their territories, and non-conspiracy, the two sides agreed on the importance of reaching the main issue of the Islamic world, which is the Palestinian issue, according to a just solution that guarantees the Palestinian people their right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The two presidents agreed to hold a political consultation committee between the foreign ministries of the two countries on a regular basis to coordinate and consult on various strategic issues of common interest.
* President Islam Karimov!
In December 1992, President Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan, headed a large government delegation to Cairo, where a number of agreements were signed, including the “Basics of Relations and Cooperation between Egypt and Uzbekistan” agreement, the Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement, the Air Transport Agreement, and the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.
– From 17-19/4/2007, President Karimov, President of Uzbekistan, visited Cairo for the second time in the period. The bilateral discussions covered regional and international issues of common interest, where both parties affirmed their support for efforts aimed at avoiding a clash of civilizations and cultures. They expressed the importance of establishing the principles of mutual respect for religions and cultural particularities of all parties. The two parties expressed their readiness for close cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to coordinate efforts and positions.
