Egypt's FM Delivers Message from President Sisi to Niger President

Acting on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty delivered a written message to President Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger during an official visit to Niamey, the capital of Niger.

The letter reaffirmed the deep historical and fraternal ties between Egypt and Niger and expressed Egypt’s commitment to enhancing cooperation across various sectors.

Abdelatty conveyed President Sisi’s warm greetings to President Tiani and emphasized that the visit reflects Egypt’s strategic focus on strengthening its partnership with Niger. He highlighted Egypt’s ongoing support for the people of Niger, grounded in the long-standing connections between the two nations.

The Foreign Minister noted Egypt’s appreciation for the recent positive momentum in bilateral relations, stressing the importance of building on these achievements to promote mutual interests and accelerate shared development.

He also led a high-level delegation of 30 Egyptian business leaders and representatives from major public and private companies, participating in the first Egypt–Niger Business Forum, which aims to boost economic, trade, and investment ties, particularly in energy, infrastructure, construction, and mining.

The minister also stressed the strategic importance of Niger’s stability to Egyptian national security, citing the Sahel region as a natural extension of Egypt’s strategic neighborhood. He underscored the growing threat of terrorism and the spread of armed groups across Africa, making security cooperation and intelligence sharing between Egypt and Niger an urgent priority.

The two sides also reviewed ongoing cooperation in counterterrorism and combating extremist ideologies, with Abdel Aaty highlighting Al-Azhar’s role as a center of religious moderation.

He pointed to Al-Azhar’s training of Nigerien imams and scholars, the dispatch of religious envoys, and the scholarships offered to Nigerien students at Al-Azhar University. The Minister also praised the work of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution and the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development in building Nigerien institutional capacity.

Regional and security issues were also discussed, including the escalating instability in the Sahel and West Africa, and the impact of conflicts in neighboring countries on broader regional security. Both sides emphasized the need for collective efforts to address these challenges.

President Tiani expressed his deep appreciation to President Sisi and the Egyptian government for their continued support of Niger, both in development and in facing security challenges. He welcomed the strengthening of ties with Egypt and praised Egypt’s regional and international leadership, particularly Al-Azhar’s educational and cultural contributions to Niger’s religious and social sectors.