Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is set to start a three-day visit to Egypt on Tuesday upon an invitation by his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry. According to an official statement by the Pakistani foreign ministry on Monday, the visit comes on the back of the meetings held between Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. Both leaders met on the sidelines of the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Mecca in 2019 and then on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York in the same year. In 2020, PM Khan had a telephone conversation with President El-Sisi regarding the Global Initiative on Debt Relief' for developing countries, which was proposed by Islamabad and was supported by Cairo. During these meetings, the two leaders agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and enhance high-level exchanges, the statement added. The three-day visit will include detailed consultations with Egyptian counterpart officials and with leading Egyptian businessmen and members of the Pakistani community. The visit is expected to further strengthen and diversify Pakistan's bilateral ties with Egypt, noted the statement. The statement added that Egypt plays a key role in the Middle East, while its deep linkages with the African continent make it a gateway to Africa. Pakistan values its partnership with Egypt, which is in line with its desire to forge stronger ties with the Islamic world, as well as its initiative dubbed ‘Engage Africa', the Pakistani foreign ministry's statement pointed out. The two countries have similar perceptions on a range of regional and global issues, with more than 40 agreements signed between both sides in diverse fields, providing a firm basis for enhanced cooperation. Bilateral cooperation is advanced through strong institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission, Annual Bilateral Consultations, and Joint Business Council, the statement added.
