Sisi hails Indonesia's stances supportive of Egyptian people

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday welcomed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi as the leader of a state that was among the first countries to recognize Indonesia's independence.

Egypt's Presidential Spokesman Alaa Yousef said the Indonesian president emphasized the depth of historical relations and close friendship between the two countries and peoples.

He also expressed his country's aspiration to strengthen and develop these relations in all fields, the spokesman added.

President Sisi asserted Egypt's pride of historical relations with Indonesia, stressing that his current visit to Indonesia, the first for an Egyptian president since 1983, confirms sincere determination to give a strong impetus to these relations, especially in light of an area of great understanding between the two countries at various regional and international issues.

Sisi expressed Egypt's appreciation for the Indonesian positions in support for the Egyptian people and their free and Egypt's access to membership of the UN Security Council 2016/2017.

The president said extremism and terrorism facing the Islamic world need more effective cooperation between Egypt, as a leader in its region, and Indonesia, with its weight in the Islamic world, to meet those challenges, the spokesman said.

Sisi also hailed religious and cultural cooperation between the two countries, stressing Egypt's keenness on the continuation of Al Azhar's role in Indonesia as a beacon to spread the tolerant values of Islam.

The president also confirmed Egypt's keenness on strengthening international efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremist, hailing Indonesian efforts in this regard.

New Egypt adopts a foreign policy on the basis of openness to everyone, and in this framework Egypt highlights relations with the Asian continent and its friendly countries, including Indonesia, the president said.

For his part, the Indonesian president agreed with Sisi's visions about the importance of clarifying the true spirit of the tolerant Islam and activating its noble values that can help in the war against terrorism, extremism and radicalism, stressing the importance of cooperation between Egypt and Indonesia in order to achieve these goals.

Sisi expressed Egypt's aspiration to strengthen trade ties with Indonesia.

In this regard, the Indonesian president affirmed his country's pride that Egypt is the largest trading partner in North Africa, and looked forward to increasing Indonesian investments in Egypt.

The Indonesian president urged the Egyptian government to provide assistance and support for Indonesian investors, students and workers in Egypt.

Sisi assured his Indonesian counterpart about the safety of Indonesian citizens working or studying in the country.

He also thanked his Indonesian counterpart for sending a personal envoy to participate in the opening ceremony of the New Suez Canal, reviewing the most promising investment opportunities in the Suez Canal area development project, as well as other national projects implemented in Egypt.

In the same context, the president pointed out to measures and the legislation taken and issued in Egypt to create an attractive environment for investment, alluding to export opportunities for products manufactured in Egypt to the neighboring countries' markets, especially in the Arab region and the African continent.

At the regional level, sisi reviewed the latest developments in several countries which suffered from the scourge of terrorism and extremism.

He stressed the importance to fight terrorism using a comprehensive strategy not only limited to military and security confrontations, but extends to all economic, social, cultural and religious dimensions.

Sisi stressed that Egypt supports political solutions to these crises, which would contribute to maintaining the entities and institutions of these countries and their people's capabilities.

President Sisi stressed that the Palestinian issue remains a top priority for the Egyptian foreign policy.

He called for achieving a just and comprehensive peace and establishing a Palestinian state on the borders of June 1967, with Al Quds as its capital.

The Indonesian president confirmed that his country supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

He also expressed the need for the Islamic countries to discuss problems and crises faced by the Middle East region to find solutions and address negative humanitarian consequences on the people there, including the increasing number of refugees and illegal immigration.

At the end of the talks, President Sisi invited his Indonesian counterpart to visit Egypt, which was welcomed by Widodo.

Following the end of the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding.

Under the first MoU, diplomats of both countries should be exempted from entry visas to the other country.

The second MoU aims to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of diplomatic training.

President Sisi arrived in Jakarta on Friday, at the end of an Asian tour that also took him to Singapore and China.

Sisi's visit, to be concluded on Saturday, is the first by an Egyptian president since 1983.

Egypt was the first country to recognize Indonesia's independence. That was on August 17, 1945. Egypt was also the first country to sign a friendship agreement with Indonesia in 1947. Both countries are considered founders of both the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Islamic G8.

Source: MENA