President Sisi, Serbian counterpart tackle bilateral ties, Ukraine crisis, Israeli war on Gaza

CAIRO – July 13, 2024: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Serbian Aleksandar Vučić discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and regional and international issues like the Russian-Ukraine war and the Israeli war on Gaza.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and First Lady Entissar El Sisi have received President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and his Spouse at Ittihadiya Palace, on Saturday. After bilateral meetings between the presidents, they witnessed the signing of a number of the agreements in various fields.

President El Sisi, in a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart, confirmed Cairo’s refusal to use the Rafah border crossing as a tool to tighten the Israeli siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

On the economic level, President Sisi said that a free trade agreement will contribute to supporting economic cooperation between Egypt and Serbia. He added that the discussions also tackled ways to enhance joint cooperation.

Here is the full text of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s speech at the press conference:

Your Excellency President and dear friend, Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, the President of the Republic of Serbia,

At the outset, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Your Excellency and the accompanying delegation to Egypt on this visit in nearly 15 years. This illustrates our mutual interest to strengthen the historical friendship between our countries, which dates back to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1908, and the longstanding cooperation within multilateral frameworks, notably through their prominent roles in the Non-Aligned Movement.

I assure you, Your Excellency, Egypt highly values the rich traditions and ancient history of the Serbian people. We look forward to sharing our diverse experiences and exchanging expertise for the benefit of enhancing peace and stability in the region and the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The discussions held today with His Excellency the President reaffirm our mutual aspiration to build upon the momentum bilateral relations gained following my visit to your friendly country in 2022. The visit reflected the warm reception Your Excellency showed and the leap in the pace of cooperation across various fields: political, economic, military, and cultural. It underscored a shared belief in the importance of establishing a solid foundation for the development of comprehensive relations between Egypt and Serbia.

During our discussions today, 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. This is in addition to the importance of the periodic convening of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, notably the Political Consultation Committee and the Egyptian-Serbian Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation to promote and strengthen cooperation between the two countries, especially in the sectors of investment, agriculture, tourism, communications, and information technology.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On the international front, we exchanged views on various international and regional issues, mainly the Ukrainian crisis. We affirmed the necessity of achieving peace at the earliest opportunity. We also discussed developments in Sudan and Libya, in addition to the current crisis in Gaza. I affirmed Egypt’s position based on the inevitability of achieving an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire at the soonest time and Egypt’s categorical rejection of any form of displacement as well as any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause. This is also in addition to stopping targeting civilians and the violence of settlers. Egypt also rejects using the Rafah crossing as a tool to tighten the siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Furthermore, we discussed developments in the Western Balkans region. We confirmed the importance of the Serbian role in establishing stability and enhancing cooperation in this region, in light of Serbia's prominent role in activating the “Open Balkan” initiative to enhance opportunities for closeness among Western Balkan countries and consolidate the foundations of regional stability.

Your Excellency, the President,

In conclusion, allow me to welcome you again in Cairo, wishing Your Excellency and your accompanying delegation a pleasant stay in your second home, Egypt. I look forward to the coming period to witness further cooperation and coordination between Egypt and Serbia so as to contribute to deepening cooperation and strengthening the longstanding bonds of friendship between our peoples and countries.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency President, and I invite you to deliver your speech.