Agencies-Gaza post
Serbia, Egypt pledge to strengthen cooperation amid Ukrainian war
Egypt and Serbia decided on Wednesday to strengthen political, economic, and other cooperation as the two countries seek ways to address the global impact of the Russian raid on Ukraine.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi was in Serbia for a three-day visit this week, the first in more than three decades by an Egyptian president. His guest, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, said that the visit had a “historical character”.
“It will bring so much in the future,” Vucic said at a joint press conference with El-Sisi. “This is just the beginning.”
The two leaders marked a partnership declaration, Vucic awarded El-Sisi a state decoration, and announced plans for a free trade agreement later this year. A business forum was held as officials signed a series of agreements focusing on the fields of cooperation.
“Both of our countries should cooperate for better economies in relation to global events,” El-Sisi said. “Egypt expects stronger cooperation in all fields”.
Vucic reported that Serbia will export grain, mainly wheat, to Egypt, which has been hit hard by the price hike caused by the war in Ukraine. Egypt is among the world’s largest importers of wheat, with much of that coming from Ukrainian ports now stopped.
Serbia, a candidate country for membership of the European Union, declined to join Western sanctions against Russia and maintained friendly relations with Moscow despite the war. Both leaders said the war in Ukraine was among the topics discussed during their meeting on Wednesday.
“Egypt is a country that wants to see everything resolved peacefully and through agreements,” El-Sisi said.
El-Sisi and Vucic also stimulated at their press meeting the decade-long ties of Belgrade and Cairo as founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement outside the opposing blocs during the period of Cold War divisions.
