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Egypt, Japan Agree to Boost Political, Economic Cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi during the press conference (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi during the press conference (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, Japan Agree to Boost Political, Economic Cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi during the press conference (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi during the press conference (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who is on a Middle East tour, held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry that covered a number of issues, including regional developments.

During a joint press conference, Shoukry welcomed the Japanese minister to Cairo during the first stop of his regional tour.

He said Motegi met President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi earlier and discussed boosting bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and cultural domains.

Sisi reiterated Egypt's keenness on enhancing existing cooperation with Japan based on mutual trust and respect.

Shoukry said he held a meeting with his Japanese counterpart on promising opportunities for economic cooperation between the two countries, given Egypt's strategic location that allows it to access the Middle East and Africa.

Talks tackled regional issues, including the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. They also addressed coordinating efforts to achieve stability.

Shoukry said he discussed other vital issues with the Japanese official, including nuclear non-proliferation, Japan's efforts to enhance development efforts in the African continent, and preparations for Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) meetings.

The Egyptian minister expressed appreciation for Japan's policies that seek to achieve stability at the international and regional levels, and its contribution in supporting the Aswan Forum, the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, and Japan's contribution to peacekeeping forces in Sinai.

The Japanese Foreign Minister described Egypt as a major country in the region and one of the greatest ever civilizations, adding that he was honored to have a meeting with President Sisi.

He said Egypt and Japan share the same concern over what is going on in Afghanistan and have agreed to cooperate so that this issue would not become a source of turbulence in the region.

Motegi urged all bodies concerned to restore peace and security in Afghanistan and protect civilians and properties there.

Motegi added that during a series of meetings, they asserted the importance of cooperation in bilateral projects, including the Grand Egyptian Museum project, the Egyptian-Japanese Education Partnership, in addition to measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Motegi later met the Arab League Sec-Gen, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in Cairo and discussed ways to boost cooperation between the League and the Japanese side within the framework of the Japan-Arab Economic Forum, which was established in 2009.

An official source at the General Secretariat said that Aboul Gheit briefed the Japanese minister on the League's position on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis, stressing its support for Egypt and Sudan's historical and legitimate rights.

The source pointed out that the talks dealt with various Arab and Asian issues of common interest, most notably the crisis in Syria and Libya.

The source clarified that the meeting also highlighted the developments of the Palestinian cause, pointing out that the Secretary-General thanked the Japanese side for its continuous support to UNRWA.

He also lauded the urgent Japanese humanitarian aid provided to Palestine to meet the needs arising from the recent war in Gaza and the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Arab World

Long Waits for Canadian Visas Leave Gazans in Limbo

Reem Alyazouri and her husband, Ashraf Alyazouri, who escaped Gaza and reached Toronto, pose for a photograph in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 30, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio
Reem Alyazouri and her husband, Ashraf Alyazouri, who escaped Gaza and reached Toronto, pose for a photograph in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 30, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio
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Long Waits for Canadian Visas Leave Gazans in Limbo

Reem Alyazouri and her husband, Ashraf Alyazouri, who escaped Gaza and reached Toronto, pose for a photograph in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 30, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio
Reem Alyazouri and her husband, Ashraf Alyazouri, who escaped Gaza and reached Toronto, pose for a photograph in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 30, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

Reem Alyazouri's escape from a bombarded Gaza City through Egypt ended in Toronto on Sept. 4.
But as she and her family wrestle with applications for work permits and health insurance, her mother and father remain stuck in Cairo waiting for Canadian visas after fleeing Israel's war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza seven months ago, Reuters said.
"My mind is busy with my parents," she said. "I feel guilty, believe me. When I came here and I left them behind they told us, 'Go and start your life. ... Don't worry about us.'"
The family is trying to come to Canada through a temporary residence program for Gazans with relatives here. Alyazouri's brother Hani Abushomar, a Canadian citizen, applied for six of his family members to join him in Canada hours after the program was launched in January.
Nine months and a harrowing exit from Gaza later, his mother and father remain stranded in Cairo. They completed the last major step of the visa application process - submitting biometric information - six months ago.
They are among thousands of Palestinians waiting for visas from Canada, a country that prides itself on welcoming people from around the world.
Canada said in May it would bring in up to 5,000 Gazans - expanding on a pledge in December to take in 1,000 from the Palestinian enclave. Months later, just over 300 have arrived, with 698 applications approved out of over 4,200 submitted.
Reuters spoke with multiple applicants who said they have been waiting for months since submitting biometric information, dashing their hopes of a swift reunion with relatives in Canada.
Canada has made no promises on how long it would take to process visas for Gazans fleeing the conflict and says it has little control over who is able to leave the enclave.
A cross-border attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 last year, in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, ignited the war that has flattened most of Gaza, displacing most of its 2.3 million people and killing more than 41,800 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
Canada's focus "is on keeping families together and bringing them to safety as quickly as possible," immigration department spokesperson Julie Lafortune wrote in an email. The primary barrier is getting out of Gaza, she added.
Application processing times vary "based on the details and complexity of each file, and many factors are outside of the IRCC's control," Lafortune said, referring to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada department.
The immigration department would not say how many applicants have submitted biometric information and are waiting in Egypt.
BARRIERS TO ENTRY
Immigration lawyers say the wait for Gazans is longer than those faced by other groups fleeing conflict or disaster, and that the small numbers approved contrast with hundreds of thousands of visas granted to Ukrainians under a similar program offering temporary status.
One Canadian immigration expert said some of the visa requirements for Gazans - such as having to provide employment information dating back to when they were 16 - are unusual.
"Canada has a lot of experience in designing temporary, ad hoc programs and this one has an inordinate amount of barriers and hurdles for people to meet," said University of Ottawa law professor Jamie Chai Yun Liew, who focuses on immigration.
Liew said the Gaza program is moving slower than other Canadian temporary immigration programs, including those for Ukranians and survivors of the 2023 earthquake in Syria and Türkiye.
As of April, Canada had approved nearly 963,000 applications under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel since March 2022. So far nearly 300,000 people have arrived in Canada under that program.
Australia has granted about 3,000 visitor visas to people from Gaza since October 2023 and about 1,300 have arrived in the country, said Graham Thom, advocacy coordinator with the Refugee Council of Australia, a research and advocacy group.
'EVERYTHING IS UNCERTAIN'
Gazans who have managed to get to Egypt live in limbo, surviving off savings or donations, without access to government services, said immigration lawyer Debbie Rachlis, adding she represents dozens in that position. Many are survivors of trauma.
They beat the odds just by getting that far, and for most, the escape came at great personal risk. The Gaza City neighborhood where Alyazouri and Abushomar's family lived has been "erased," he said. They were forced to flee from their home multiple times. Alyazouri's daughter was injured.
"Something in my heart is broken," Alyazouri said.
The Canadian government said it continues to put forward the names of applicants to local Israeli officials, "but does not ultimately decide who can exit Gaza."
"Israel has agreed to Canada's request for the exit of extended family members in Gaza as part of their expanding humanitarian efforts. However, at present, the Rafah border crossing is closed,” Lafortune wrote, referring to the main entry point between Gaza and Egypt.
Abushomar has been waiting with his mother and father for visas in Egypt, where people in their position lack papers to work, access health care or open a bank account. He says he will eventually have to return to Canada to work and worries for his parents, especially his mother, who has dementia and joint problems.
For now, Abushomar says, "Everything is uncertain."