ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt held talks on cooperation in the fields of counterterrorism, anti-narcotics and cybercrime, Pakistan’s interior ministry said on Saturday, as the two countries explore new areas of bilateral engagement.
The development took place during a meeting between Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and an Egyptian interior ministry delegation led by Major General Magdy Helal.
Pakistan and Egypt share longstanding diplomatic, political, and defense ties dating back to the early years of Pakistan’s independence. Egypt was among the first Middle Eastern countries to recognize Pakistan, with formal relations established in 1948.
During the meeting, both officials agreed to strengthen cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Egypt, aiming to benefit from each other’s experience in various fields.
“Discussions were held on promoting collaboration in the fields of security, counterterrorism, anti-narcotics, cybercrime, and safe city initiatives,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
“It was decided to strengthen cooperation for joint training of officers between the National Police Academy and the Egyptian Police Academy.”
The statement quoted Naqvi as saying that a Pakistani delegation would soon visit Egypt to explore new opportunities.
The Egyptian delegation said visits to the Anti-Narcotics Force headquarters and the National Police Academy were “highly beneficial,” it added.
In April, the Pakistani and Egyptian armies concluded a two-week joint military exercise at the Special Operations School in northwest Pakistan, involving the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) and Egyptian special forces to enhance interoperability.
Last October, both countries agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation during a meeting between Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo.
