ALGIERS- President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Tuesday in Cairo that the talks he held with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, were “rich” and “fruitful.”
During a press conference held jointly with the Egyptian President at the end of their talks at the Presidential Palace in Cairo, on the second day of his working and fraternal visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, President Tebboune said that these talks were “rich and fruitful” and were part of the constant consultations on bilateral relations, and the efforts of both countries to further foster Arab-African cooperation and achieve security and stability in the region.
“We further stressed the need to “work together to preserve the pioneering role of Algeria and Egypt in Africa and the southern shore of the Mediterranean, while emphasizing the historical and geostrategic role of the Arab Republic of Egypt in building bridges of cooperation for our Arab brothers in the Asian continent,” said the Head of State.
“The talks were also an opportunity to discuss economic cooperation, including economic exchanges and investment facilitation between the two countries,” added President Tebboune.
President Tebboune pointed out that Algerian and Egypt had identical positions on a host of Arab and African regional issues.
“We agreed to hold regular contacts and consultation ahead of the next Arab summit which will be held in Algeria,” said Tebboune, and discussed ways to forge a consensus over the summit’s agenda.
President Tebboune highlighted that both Egypt and Algeria want the Arab summit to serve as a bridge between Arabs in Africa and those in Asia. “Egypt has strong relations with our Arab brethren in Asia and it could help build bridges in this area. The next Arab summit should help Arabs face the challenges that result from foreign conflicts and secret agendas which do not serve Arab interests and ambitions,” he said.
Coordination over Syria, Libya, and Palestine were also at the table of the Egyptian and Algerian presidents.
For his part, President Al-Sisi told the press conference that the focus had been on fostering bilateral political, economic, and commercial relations, as well as on regional issues, such as; the situations in Libya, Syria and Palestine, and terrorism in Africa and the Arab world.
Al-Sisi also revealed that the next round of meetings of the higher joint Egyptian-Algerian Committee would soon be scheduled, and that they would aim to push economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.
Al-Sisi said he had also addressed the importance of reaching an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in talks with Tebboune and that they had “agreed there is a pressing need to reach an equitable settlement on the filling and operation of the dam”.
President Al-Sisi also indicated that Egypt hopes the Arab summit expected to convene in Algeria will be a success.
“We held intensive and constructive talks on how to push joint Arab action and ensure that the coming Arab summit will be a success,” said Al-Sisi. “The talks in this respect focused on the necessity of creating a Palestinian state, and holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya. We agreed that foreign mercenaries should leave Libya in observance of UN Security Council’s resolutions in order to pave the way towards Libyan independence and sovereignty.”
Before this meeting, a solemn welcome was reserved for President Tebboune at the Presidential Palace by his Egyptian counterpart. The two heads of state listened to the national anthems of the two countries.
President Tebboune laid, that morning, two wreaths of flowers on the grave of the late Egyptian President Anouar Sadat, and the Unknown Soldier Memorial.
The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune arrived in Cairo on Monday as part of a two-day working and fraternity visit.
Upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport, President Tebboune was welcomed by Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, and senior Egyptian officials.
President Tebboune is accompanied by a ministerial delegation made up of Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ramtane Lamamra, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Abdelbaki Benziane, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Knowledge Economy and Startups, Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid and Minister of Culture and Arts, Wafaa Chaalal.
On the first day of his visit, President Tebboune held a meeting at the headquarters of his residency in Al-Qubba Palace in Cairo with representatives of the national community in Egypt.
The visit of President Tebboune to Egypt, a brotherly country, comes after the visit made by Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ramtane Lamamra, as personal envoy of the President of the Republic, about a week ago.
Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra met with President Al-Sisi, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri, and Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul-Gheit. Lamamra said Algeria suspects “hostile forces are conspiring to undermine the next Arab summit in Algeria.”
Previously, Lieutenant General Said Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of the People’s National Army (ANP), had also visited Egypt as representative of the President of the Republic, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of National Defense, to attend the 2nd Egypt Defense Expo “EDEX-2021”.
