Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry underlined Egypt's keenness on promoting political cooperation with Senegal during a meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Amado Ba on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by Egypt's foreign ministry. The meeting came on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the 14th Islamic Summit Conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), scheduled to be held 31 May in Mecca. According to foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez, Shoukry praised the role played by Senegalese President Macky Sall, chairperson of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Heads of States and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC), in running NEPAD during his presidency. Shoukry highlighted the historical and brotherly ties with Senegal, especially at the political, cultural and religious levels. Hafez said that Shoukry also noted that the two countries' convergence comes from the convergence of their visions towards regional and international issues. Moreover, Shoukry also stressed the importance of continued coordination between the two countries within the framework of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, given that Senegal is one of the most important Islamic countries in Africa. He expressed Egypt's appreciation for the results of President El-Sisi's visit to Dakar in April 2019, emphasising the importance of putting into effect the agreements reached during the visit, especially the convocation of a joint committee and boosting trade exchange. For his part, the Senegalese foreign minister affirmed his country's keenness on beefing up bilateral ties, underlining the key role played by Egypt as the current chair of the African Union. He highlighted the importance of coordination between the two countries in international and regional forums.
