On Saturday, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration, Dr. Badr Abdel Atty, held a comprehensive round of political consultations with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo.
The discussions began with a one-on-one meeting between the two ministers, followed by expanded talks involving delegations from both countries. The meeting concluded with the signing of a cooperation agreement in the field of diplomatic training.
According to Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson and Director of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the talks focused on the strong and evolving bilateral relations between Egypt and Sri Lanka. Both ministers emphasized the importance of maintaining the positive momentum that has characterized relations in recent years, reflecting the deep historical ties between the two nations. Dr. Abdel Atty highlighted the recent activation of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the second round of political consultations held in Colombo in July 2023. He also welcomed Sri Lanka's decision to re-establish the Egypt-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Sri Lankan Parliament late last year.
Minister Abdel Atty expressed Egypt's interest in enhancing Sri Lankan investments in the country, particularly in promising sectors like manufacturing, which benefit from Egypt's favorable investment incentives for foreign investors. He also praised recent efforts by major Sri Lankan companies in the ready-made garments sector to increase their investments in Egypt, stressing that Egypt is committed to removing any obstacles faced by foreign investors. Furthermore, he underscored the importance of leveraging this momentum to boost trade volumes between the two countries and revive the Egypt-Sri Lanka Joint Business Council.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry reaffirmed the strong interest of Sri Lanka’s private sector in expanding its investments in Egypt, acknowledging the numerous promising investment opportunities available. He also highlighted Sri Lanka's desire to deepen cooperation with Egypt in cultural exchanges, counter-terrorism efforts, and other areas that strengthen the distinguished relationship between the two countries.
Dr. Abdel Atty also emphasized the importance of boosting tourism cooperation and increasing tourist exchanges between Egypt and Sri Lanka, building on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008. The ministers discussed ways to further capitalize on Egypt's leading experience in training professionals in the tourism and archaeological sectors. Additionally, Dr. Abdel Atty offered Egypt’s cooperation in counter-terrorism, noting the pivotal role of Al-Azhar University in promoting moderate and tolerant Islamic teachings. He welcomed the possibility of sending Al-Azhar scholars and teachers to Sri Lankan educational institutions.
After the talks, both ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining regular communication to monitor the progress of bilateral cooperation initiatives and to intensify consultations on regional and international issues of mutual interest. They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Egyptian Diplomatic Institute and its Sri Lankan counterpart, aimed at enhancing cooperation and coordination in diplomatic training and capacity building for diplomats from both countries.
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