Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with several high-ranking Serbian officials in Belgrade on Wednesday, 22 January 2025, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and address regional and international issues. Abdelatty's discussions with Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević focused on building upon the positive outcomes of reciprocal presidential visits – President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to Serbia in July 2022 and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to Egypt in July 2024. The importance of maintaining this momentum through high-level exchanges, including the recent visit of Serbia's First Lady to the Arab and African Investment Summit in Aswan in November 2024, was emphasised. Abdelatty also advocated for regular political consultations to address key areas of cooperation and regional and international developments. The Minister welcomed the July 2024 free trade agreement, anticipating it will significantly boost bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He expressed Egypt's willingness to host the 19th session of the Joint Economic Committee in Cairo in the second half of 2025 and encouraged regular meetings of the Joint Business Council. Increased mutual investment and potential trilateral cooperation projects in Africa were also explored. Discussions also identified priority sectors for cooperation, including information technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, food industries, renewable energy, and tourism, noting Serbia's growing renewable energy market. During his visit, Abdelatty and Serbian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Aleksandar Martinović signed a memorandum of understanding on water resources cooperation at the Serbian government's headquarters, witnessed by Prime Minister Vučević. Abdelatty also met with Ana Brnabić, Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia. A meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, followed by a joint press conference, further reinforced the commitment to enhanced bilateral relations. Abdelatty praised the historical ties between the two countries, particularly their roles in founding the Non-Aligned Movement. He reiterated the significance of the presidential visits and the free trade agreement in expanding trade. He stressed the importance of continued exchanges at all levels and activating existing cooperation mechanisms, such as political consultations and the Joint Committee for Economic, Technical, and Scientific Cooperation, noting Egypt's intention to host the committee's 19th session in Cairo. He also emphasised enhanced coordination in counterterrorism and praised the mutual support in international organisations and candidacies, congratulating Serbia on its successful bid to host the World Expo 2027. Abdelatty and Đurić discussed increasing mutual investments and cooperation in agriculture, information technology, artificial intelligence, tourism, and civil aviation. They highlighted the need for bilateral arrangements to ease market access for companies and the importance of regular Joint Business Council meetings. Establishing a framework for Egyptian labour recruitment to address Serbian market needs was also considered. The meetings also provided a platform to exchange views on regional and international issues, including the situation in Gaza. Đurić commended Egypt's role in achieving ceasefire and expressed Serbia's willingness to coordinate assistance for Palestinians. Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to international law, the UN Charter, and respect for national sovereignty. Discussions also covered the Syrian crisis and the need for international cooperation to achieve stability, as well as developments in Libya, Sudan, Lebanon, and the Western Balkans.
