Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry concluded his European tour on Tuesday, which took him to Estonia and Lithuania, preceded by a visit to Russia, during which he discussed the development of bilateral relations and the exchange of support and coordination in international forums, especially at the level of the European Union.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry delivered a letter from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid on the development of bilateral relations.
Kaljulaid expressed her appreciation to Egypt’s leadership and people, noting the centrality of the Egyptian role in enhancing security and stability in the Middle East and Africa and in confronting terrorism.
The spokesman pointed out that the visit came within the framework of Egypt’s keenness to strengthen bilateral relations with Estonia and the Baltic states in general, in light of their growing role as an influential force within the European Union.
Abu Zeid said that Shoukry’s visit to Estonia and Lithuania was the first made by an Egyptian foreign minister to these two countries.
He added that the Egyptian official held intensive meetings with his Estonian counterpart and the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Estonian Parliament. He stressed to him Egypt’s trust in Estonia’s current presidency of the European Union in the wake of unprecedented challenges at all levels, especially the fierce recent terrorist attacks in Europe.
Abu Zeid noted that meetings touched on a number of regional and international issues of common concern, such as migration, international security and combating terrorism. He pointed out that the Estonian side underlined the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation between Egypt and the European Union.
On bilateral relations between Egypt and Estonia, Shoukry stressed the importance of enhancing the prospects of cooperation in various economic and investment fields and presented the positive results of Egypt’s economic reform program and efforts to bolster the investment climate in the country.
