ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt on Saturday agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation during a meeting between Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Saturday.
Pakistan and Egypt share a history of diplomatic ties dating back to the early years of Pakistan’s independence. Egypt was among the first Middle Eastern countries to recognize Pakistan, and the two formally established diplomatic relations in 1948.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked President El-Sisi for Egypt’s balanced diplomacy amid tensions between Pakistan and India, and invited him to visit Islamabad.
“The Chief of Army Staff commended the Egyptian leadership for its key role in the region’s peace and stability, while President El-Sisi expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s positive and proactive contributions to matters of importance for the world and the Muslim Ummah,” ISPR said. “Both leaders underlined the importance of coordination on matters of mutual strategic interests and strengthening people-to-people contacts.”
The statement said the meeting acknowledged the shared history of friendly ties and a mutual desire to broaden cooperation across socio-economic, technological and security domains.
“The meeting concluded on a warm note, with both parties expressing confidence that the strengthened economic and security dialogue would contribute significantly to peace, stability and security in Pakistan, Egypt and the wider region,” it added.
According to an AFP report, Pakistan, along with Qatar, Türkiye and Malaysia, may be among the countries considered for the resettlement of Palestinian prisoners freed under a hostage-swap deal with Israel and currently in Egypt, though
Islamabad has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
Both Pakistan and Egypt have called for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza over the past two years.
Cairo earlier this year proposed a five-year, $53-billion reconstruction plan for the war-battered enclave after rejecting suggestions by the United States to relocate Gazans to neighboring Arab states.
More recently, Egypt’s resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh hosted the signing of the Gaza ceasefire, attended by several world leaders including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Islamabad has repeatedly raised the Palestinian issue at international forums since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza, with Sharif among Muslim leaders who discussed the peace plan with United States President Donald Trump in New York last month before it was formally unveiled.
