FM, Kazakh min. of social development discuss bilateral relations

CAIRO – 10 September 2018: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Social Development Darkhan Kaletayev; both ministers discussed means to develop bilateral relations and exchanged views on a number of regional issues of mutual interest.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abou Zeid stated that the meeting focused primarily on following the bilateral cooperation between both countries.

During the meeting, FM Shoukry asserted the strength of relations between the two countries that are united by deep, historical ties on the political, economic, and cultural fronts.

Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty hosts the Egyptian Kazakh University for Islamic Culture, which is considered one of the most important platforms for providing a correct image of Islam in Central Asia.

The foreign minister emphasized that the two countries share the same views regarding confronting extremism and terrorism, according to Abou Zeid.

Abou Zeid also noted that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched an initiative to hold an international conference under the title “Islam Against Terrorism”, which comes in line with President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s initiative to renew religious rhetoric.

The spokesperson added that FM Shoukry expressed Egypt’s interest in reinforcing cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries, increasing exchange scholarships, visits by technical teams and cultural events.

Abou Zeid referred to the achievement of opening Sultan Baibars artifacts exhibition in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities in Kazakhstan for four months.

He also asserted Cairo’s keenness to boost Kazakh tourism to Egypt, especially after establishing charter flights to Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada.

Abou Zeid concluded that the ministers stressed the need to enhance co-operation mechanisms to overcome the region's crises, affirming the importance of Egypt's participation in the Congress of Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions in Astana, Kazakhstan.