Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said during a visit to the Chinese Communist Party Academy in Beijing that Cairo highly commends China for its successes in construction and development, and called for continued cooperation between the nations, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement. "Cairo would benefit from Beijing's economic, cultural, touristic, and technological expertise to advance growth and development in Egypt. We are looking forward to maintaining and developing our relationship, as Egypt enjoys a significant geo-strategic position," El-Sisi said in a speech on Sunday as he addressed students and administrators during a visit to the communist party's academy, which is one of China's premiere educational institutions.
“These relations are the forefront of security and development at both an African and international scale," he added, highlighting Egypt's efforts over the past four years to strengthen the state and the economy by adopting an active strategy to restore the country's stance in the region and regaining regional stability and security. El-Sisi expalined that a void created after the revolutions of the Arab Spring was filled by certain religious political sects that opportunistically pounced into power, while ignoring patriotic duties. The Egyptian people wisely chose the road to recovery to protect Egypt from fall or collapse, El-Sisi added. El-Sisi discussed Egypt's current economic reform programme and the mega projects Cairo has implemented to create an atmosphere of welcoming international investment. The president also discussed upcoming economic legislation and infrastructure projects including roads, electric power plants, and new cities and harbors. El-Sisi also said the signing of the January 2016 memorandum on mutual understanding to enhance cooperation between Cairo and Beijing boosted the infrastructure sector in the country and helped in the implementation of mega projects, specifically the Suez Canal economic zone and the New Administrative Capital. El-Sisi also discussed with the heads of the academy the role of their institution in guiding and training Chinese youth for positions in leadership. El-Sisi expressed his deep admiration for the contributions the academy made in leading China towards progress and development, Radi added. “As China's cultural and historical partner in the Belt and Road initiative of reviving the Silk Road, Egypt asserts full support for China's initiative and stresses the importance of mutual projects in Suez Canal zone within the framework of signed memorandum,” Radi concluded. President El-Sisi arrived in Beijing on Saturday heading an Egyptian delegation on an official three day visit to China. On Saturday evening, President El-Sisi met with the head representatives of Chinese companies to discuss further bilateral cooperation and additional investment opportunities in Egypt. El-Sisi was then officially hosted in The Great Hall of the People by Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting between the two leaders. On Monday, the Egyptian president will be attending the Chinese-African summit in Beijing.
