Egypt, Japan vow to cement cooperation

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues of common interest.
They stressed the need for continued consultation regarding joint efforts to prepare for the next session of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Tunisia next year.
El-Sisi stressed Egypt’s keenness to develop cooperation with Japan in many fields, while Motegi affirmed his country’s willingness to enhance its relations with Egypt in terms of economic cooperation and political consultation.
The meeting also touched on several regional issues of common interest, including developments in Afghanistan.
El-Sisi stressed Egypt’s keenness to attract more Japanese investments, while Motegi said his country attaches special importance to its relations with Egypt due to the latter’s central role in maintaining stability and peace in the Middle East.

Motegi affirmed his country’s aspiration to strengthen economic relations with Egypt and increase Japanese investments in light of the growth and development that Egypt is witnessing.
He said Japan intends to intensify its efforts to implement bilateral projects with Egypt, especially in the fields of technology, energy and transportation.
He cited the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is an icon of cooperation between the two countries, and Japanese schools in Egypt.
Talks between Motegi and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry covered regional issues including Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as the need for continued Egyptian-Japanese coordination in order to achieve stability and defuse crises and conflicts.