Egypt, Korea Agree to Establish Political, Economic Partnership

 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Cairo on Thursday, January 20, 2022. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Cairo on Thursday, January 20, 2022. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, Korea Agree to Establish Political, Economic Partnership

 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Cairo on Thursday, January 20, 2022. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Cairo on Thursday, January 20, 2022. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and South Korea agreed on Thursday to establish an economic and political partnership within an integrated strategic framework for the various aspects and fields of cooperation.

This came during the meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in at al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.

Egypt is proud of the deep ties with South Korea, Sisi told a joint press conference, calling for activating comprehensive bilateral partnership that would serve the interests of both peoples.

He underlined the importance of holding political consultation and strategic dialogue to push forward bilateral cooperation.

Sisi said Egypt looks forward to attract Korean firms to invest in the country and is willing to facilitate their work in the fields of energy, mining, information technology, artificial intelligence.

The visit comes in light of the mutual keenness to hold talks and exchange visions and views on various topics and issues of common concern.

Jae-in, for his part, said his visit to Egypt is special, saying it's the first visit by a South Korean president to Egypt in 16 years.

He underscored the need to establish a comprehensive bilateral partnership that would bring benefits to the two peoples and promote sustainable cooperation in the future.

He said he agreed with Sisi to expand the horizons of economic cooperation, and decided to boost the value of sustainable partnership by allocating $1 billion in the Economic Development Cooperation Fund and work together to exchange development policies and promote innovation.

Seoul will cooperate with Cairo to convince the international community to respond to the climate change issue, Jae-in affirmed, adding that they agreed to bolster cooperation in the fields of renewable energy and eco-friendly infrastructure.



Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
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Lebanon Braces for Repercussions of Iran-Israel Conflict

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian meet at Dar al-Fatwa. (Markazia)

Lebanon remained on high political alert amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, as officials worked to assess and contain the potential repercussions of the conflict on the country’s fragile stability.

Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian emphasized the importance of Lebanon distancing itself from the conflict.

President Joseph Aoun is closely monitoring the unfolding situation and received briefings on the latest developments and the regional and international diplomatic efforts underway to defuse it.

Aoun is in continuous contact with security leaders, in line with the outcomes of a national security meeting held at the Baabda Palace on Saturday, said a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The president also oversaw efforts to facilitate the return of Lebanese nationals stranded abroad after airlines canceled flights to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport and neighboring countries closed their airspace due to the rising regional tensions.

Saudi Ambassador Bukhari met with Grand Mufti Derian at Dar al-Fatwa to extend Eid al-Adha greetings and congratulate him on performing the Hajj upon invitation from the Saudi royal protocol.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss Lebanese and regional affairs.

According to a statement from Dar al-Fatwa’s media office, the officials stressed the need for Lebanon to disassociate itself from the Iran-Israel conflict.

They underscored the urgent need for intensified Arab and international diplomatic efforts to curb the language of war and restore rational dialogue. They warned of the dangerous political, economic, and environmental consequences the continued fighting could have on the region.

Despite ongoing Israeli attacks in parts of Lebanon and repeated violations of UN Resolution 1701, the country, they said, must pursue security, peace, and stability.