Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry stressed that Egypt and India have a long history of joint work, whether in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) or bilateral coordination, explaining that the two countries have a common desire to achieve development goals. In a joint press conference with Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Cairo on Saturday, Shoukry said: "Over the past eight years, Egypt has achieved a high degree of stability and work to improve the standard of living of the Egyptian citizen, including the Decent Life programme, so there is more cooperation and expansion of trade and mutual investments within the framework of the common goals of the two countries." "We held a meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister on the side-lines of the current session of the General Assembly and confirmed that there is a strong political will from the two countries to work together, strengthen bilateral relations, and coordinate on international and regional developments, especially as we have a long history of joint work through the mechanisms available to us," he added. Furthermore, he said that the visit discussed joint work, bilateral relations, and international developments through the available mechanisms to maintain international peace and security and strive to achieve these development goals. "We have addressed many international and regional issues, and the possibilities of working to improve bilateral relations at the political, economic, and cultural levels, and there will be a common interest to take full advantage of the mechanisms available to the two countries to continue advancing these historically important relations for the two countries." Additionally, Shoukry discussed with the Indian FM thoroughly the file of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). He then moved on to the multilateral frameworks that have an impact on international climate in general, pointing out that the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) that will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November is important, as it is the multilateral framework through which international cooperation is carried out to deal with an existential issue related to the whole world. For his part, Jaishankar confirmed that his first official visit to Egypt comes as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the launch of diplomatic relations between Egypt and India. He also pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic caused a crisis and disrupted the exchange between the two countries, explaining that his country is committed to developing relations with Egypt in light of the long history of political cooperation between the two countries. The Indian FM then pointed to his country's desire to hold the meeting of the Anti-Terrorism Group, explaining the cooperative relations between the two contries in the field of security and defence and joint exercises. Additionally, Jaishankar said that trade and the economy contribute to the development of joint relations in light of an increase of $2bn in trade transactions, explaining that it was agreed to increase the volume of trade exchange during the coming period. He also stressed the presence of Indian companies in Egypt with investments exceeding $3bn, and that his country has an interest in the field of industry, especially renewable energy. Furthermore, he pointed out that they discussed ways to activate tourism traffic between the two countries, pointing out that it was agreed to build capacities and exchange experiences in the presence of 2,400 Egyptians being sent to India to gain experience. Earlier on Saturday, Shoukry stressed Egypt's efforts to ensure that the COP27 represents an important milestone in the implementation of climate pledges and commitments, including the provision of climate finance and the fulfilment of the nationally determined contributions in the field of emissions reduction in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of the Paris Accords on Climate Change. This came during Shoukry's meeting with Arlette Sudan-nunoh — Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Republic of CongoBrazzaville. The meeting reviewed the latest developments in the ongoing preparations for the conference, stressing the Egyptian presidency's quest for the conference to produce results that enhance international climate action at various levels. For her part, the Congolese minister expressed her appreciation for Egypt's hosting of this conference and her confidence in Egypt's ability to come up with the best possible results in light of the many complexities imposed by the current international reality.
