Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan shared insights on numerous regional and international matters, including the Libyan file, during a high-level meeting.
This dialogue was part of the discussions held on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro, as stated in a press release by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry highlighted on February 15 that the fruits of normalization with Egypt have begun to manifest in Libya, aligning with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s landmark visit to Cairo, the first in 12 years.
In his meeting with Hakan Fidan today, Shoukry praised the “positive results” stemming from Erdogan’s recent visit to Egypt.
The Turkish Foreign Minister had anticipated “significant positive impacts on the normalization of relations with Egypt, particularly regarding policies in Libya,” earlier this month.
The warming ties between Egypt and Turkey received a significant boost after a meeting between President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Erdogan on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup inauguration in Doha in November 2022.
Following the February earthquake, President Sisi also made a solidarity phone call to his Turkish counterpart, subsequently leading to Erdogan’s visit to Cairo, which underscored the evident rapprochement between the two nations.
In Wednesday’s statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Shoukry expressed Egypt’s hope for the forthcoming period to further enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries, expanding them into broader horizons across all fields for the mutual benefit of both nations and contributing to the restoration of security and stability in the region.
Among other issues discussed by the ministers was the importance of boosting the trade volume between the two countries, as well as continuing to enhance Turkish investments in Egypt across diverse sectors to leverage Egypt’s multiple advantages for mutual benefit.
Shoukry also conveyed Egypt’s interest in boosting cooperation in the tourism sector, looking forward to welcoming more Turkish tourists.
The meeting also touched upon the importance of ongoing coordination between the two countries in light of the Israeli aggression in Gaza, intensifying efforts towards the establishment of a Palestinian state within the pre-June 5, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The discussions reaffirmed the need for continued efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict in Gaza through an immediate ceasefire, unconditional access to humanitarian aid, and the resumption of the peace process.
Minister Fidan emphasized the importance of ongoing consultation and coordination on various regional and international issues, enhancing joint efforts to establish peace and stability across the entire region.
