Egyptian president, Prince Charles discuss combating terrorism, extremism

CAIRO – 18 November 2021: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Prince Charles of Wales held talks Thursday in Al Itihadiyah Presidential Palace focusing on combating terrorism and extremism.

 

"The president asked the prince to deliver his greetings to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, expressing aspiration that this visit would mark a new phase of further cooperation between Egypt and the United Kingdom. He added that royal visits usually turn into landmarks in the political and popular memories in both Egypt and the UK," the presidency press statement reads.  

On his Side, Prince Charles expressed appreciation for the warm welcome he got in Egypt delivering the greetings of the Queen Elizabeth. He also affirmed his rejoice about visiting Egypt again saying he has been eager to visit the country in his first tour held on behalf of the Queen since COVID-19 outbreak.

That eagerness stems from the "special traditional ties between both states, and the balanced and pivotal role Egypt is assuming in dealing with a number of international issues, and in maintaining security and stability in the region," the statement indicates.

President Sisi and Prince Charles conferred over a number of matters of mutual interest, particularly counterterrorism, and combating extremism. In that context, President Sisi underscored Egypt's solidarity with the UK and its people against terrorism after the latest terror attack in Liverpool. He also asserted the necessity of intensifying joint cooperation to promote the values of tolerance, peace, and acceptance of the Other in order to undermine extremist interpretations of religion adopted by terror groups.

The chief of state added that "the international community also has to work on devising a multi-layer strategy aimed at dealing with all elements and parties that foster terror groups, facing extremist ideologies, and promoting tolerance and joint coexistence."

Speaking of regional issues, the president stressed the salience of strengthening national institutions in regional countries enduring crises with the aim of filling the gap allowing the growth of terrorism and its spread into other world countries. He noted that this is the framework representing the fundamentals and principles of Egypt's policy in dealing with existing crises at the region.  

On his side, Prince Charles valued the efforts deployed by Egypt over the past years on the level of countering extremist ideas and combating terror. Similarly, he underlined the United Kingdom's interest in learning from Egypt's experience with making religions "an incubator for positive social development that grows the individual's awareness of their role and duties towards their society, its stability, and its development," the press statement reports.

Equally, both parties discussed bilateral cooperation in the sectors of tertiary education, health, and climate change. That is in light of Prince Charles' multiple initiatives on that front and Egypt being the host country of COP27 in November 2022.   

Finally, President Sisi and Prince Charles expressed satisfaction over the positive evolution bilateral relations are experiencing currently as well as the ongoing continuous consultation in all fields on both the political and executive levels. "That includes coordination in the face of novel challenges threatening humanity," the statement highlights.