Egypt, Serbia Agree to Boost Political, Economic Cooperation

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left, shakes hands with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. El-Sisi is on a three-day official visit to Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left, shakes hands with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. El-Sisi is on a three-day official visit to Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
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Egypt, Serbia Agree to Boost Political, Economic Cooperation

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left, shakes hands with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. El-Sisi is on a three-day official visit to Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left, shakes hands with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. El-Sisi is on a three-day official visit to Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Egypt and Serbia on Wednesday agreed to boost political, economic and other cooperation as the two countries look for ways to deal with the global impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was in Serbia on a three-day visit this week — the first in more than three decades by an Egyptian president. His host, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, said the visit had a “historic character.”

“It will bring so much in the future,” Vucic said at a joint press conference with Sisi. “This is just a beginning.”

The two leaders signed a partnership declaration, Vucic awarded el-Sisi a state decoration and announced plans for a free trade agreement by the end of the year. A business forum was held as officials signed a series of deals focusing on fields of cooperation, The Associated Press reported.

“Both our countries should cooperate for better economies in relation to the global events,” said el-Sisi. “Egypt expects stronger cooperation in all fields.”

Vucic said Serbia will export grain, primarily wheat, to Egypt, which has been hit hard by the price hikes caused by the war in Ukraine. Egypt is among the world’s largest importers of wheat, with much of that from now-blocked Ukrainian ports.

Serbia has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia and has maintained friendly relations with Moscow despite the war. Both leaders said the war in Ukraine was among the topics discussed at their meeting Wednesday.

“Egypt is a country that wishes to see everything resolved peacefully and through agreements,” said el-Sisi.

El-Sisi and Vucic also evoked during their press conference the decades-old ties of Belgrade and Cairo as founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement of nations outside the opposed blocs during the time of Cold War divisions.



Katz Warns Hezbollah Against Joining Conflict with Iran

A police officer inspects fragments of missile parts on the ground at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, in Be'er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A police officer inspects fragments of missile parts on the ground at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, in Be'er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Katz Warns Hezbollah Against Joining Conflict with Iran

A police officer inspects fragments of missile parts on the ground at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, in Be'er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A police officer inspects fragments of missile parts on the ground at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, in Be'er Sheva, Israel, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanon's Hezbollah to exercise caution on Friday, saying Israel's patience with "terrorists" who threaten it had worn thin.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Thursday that the Lebanese group would act as it saw fit in the face of what he called "brutal Israeli-American aggression" against Iran.

In other statements, the group has made no explicit pledge to join the fighting. But it has condemned Israel’s surprise strikes on Iran that sparked the conflict and endorsed Iran’s missile barrages over Israel.

"I suggest the Lebanese proxy be cautious and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten it,” Katz said in a statement on Friday, adding that "if there is terrorism -- there will be no Hezbollah."

Qassem “is not learning a lesson from his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel in accordance with the Iranian dictator's orders,” Katz stated.

He said on Thursday that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, “cannot continue to exist.”