Egypt and Serbia forge stronger ties with new agreements

Presidents Al-Sisi and Vucic sign deals to enhance economic, military and cultural cooperation

CAIRO:

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements between the two countries on Saturday, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

The deals, covering trade, investment, information and communications technology, antiquities and museums, customs, and employment, were signed after talks between the two leaders on boosting cooperation between Cairo and Belgrade in various fields.

"We agreed on the importance of committing to enhancing long-term relations in all fields through effectuating the agreements signed today, particularly the Free Trade Agreement, which will significantly boost economic and trade cooperation between our countries," Al-Sisi said in a joint press conference with Vucic following their talks.

The Egyptian president stressed the mutual interest of both countries to strengthen their "historical friendship," which dates back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1908.

For his part, the Serbian leader said that the deals signed in Cairo "will contribute to strengthening the ties of commercial, economic, and industrial cooperation between our two countries."

There will be increasing visits by Serbian investors to Egypt in the coming period, and "we surely welcome Egyptian investors in Serbia," the Serbian president told the joint press conference.

He underlined the growing military cooperation between Egypt and Serbia, noting that "there will be joint military exercises between the armed forces of both countries."

The two leaders also exchanged views on various international and regional issues, including the Ukrainian crisis, the developments in Sudan and Libya, and the current conflict in the Gaza Strip.