Turkish, Egyptian presidents forge new path of cooperation in landmark meeting

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hold joint press conference in Cairo, highlighting their commitment to regional cooperation and stability

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi underscored their shared dedication to regional cooperation and stability during a joint press conference in Cairo on Wednesday, marking a substantial development in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

At the meeting, Erdogan denounced Israel’s attempts to forcibly remove the Palestinian people from their land, describing such endeavors as “completely without merit” and “completely intolerable.” Highlighting Türkiye’s steadfast support for its Egyptian counterparts in their efforts to end the violence in the region, he emphasized the critical nature of an armistice to enable unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

El-Sissi expressed Egypt’s resolve to establish a fresh trajectory in its bilateral ties with Türkiye, mirroring Erdogan’s sentiments.

Erdogan’s inaugural official visit to Egypt in over a decade was greeted with a cordial reception. The two leaders emphasized their shared aspiration to bolster collaboration and elevate bilateral ties to unprecedented levels.

El-Sissi established a goal for bilateral trade to reach $15 billion within the following five years, during which time economic collaboration was also a topic of discussion. Demonstrating a potential alignment of interests in regional security, both leaders were optimistic regarding the possibility of forming joint ventures, specifically in the defense sector.

Efforts to foster closer relations between Egypt and Türkiye reached a momentous juncture with the arrival of Erdogan in Cairo. By designating ambassadors in July of last year, both nations initiated efforts to restore diplomatic relations to their pre-2013 state of turbulence, thus signifying a reconciliation.

Adhering to a joint declaration issued during the press conference, Erdogan and el-Sissi reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening collaboration in diverse sectors and restructured the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meetings. Currently, the presidents of Egypt and Türkiye will co-chair the council, and the two nations will alternate hosting biennial meetings.

The joint declaration delineated domains for collaboration, encompassing energy, agriculture, environment, urban transformation, climate change, communication, and consular affairs, in addition to political and diplomatic cooperation. Trade, banking, education, defense, and security were also identified as areas conducive to collaboration.

The Joint Planning Group, consisting of foreign ministers and senior officials from various ministries and institutions, will prepare and coordinate agenda items for High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meetings in order to promote effective collaboration between the two nations.

The resolution additionally assigned the responsibility of composing essential memoranda of understanding and agreements to foster collaboration in diverse domains to the foreign ministers and relevant ministers of both nations. This was to be carried out expeditiously so that the agreements could be executed and enforced.

Erdogan’s visit to Egypt indicates a new era of cooperation and benefits for both countries and the wider region.

Source: Anadolu Agency