Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received a phone call on Monday from South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. Presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shenawy said President Lee thanked Al-Sisi for hosting his special envoy in September 2025, describing the meeting as "fruitful and yielding tangible results." Al-Sisi congratulated Lee on his election as president in June 2025 and expressed his eagerness to welcome him to Cairo soon, reaffirming Egypt's commitment to expanding cooperation across various sectors. The two leaders emphasised the importance of promoting global peace and stability, commending ongoing efforts to advance security in both the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. Al-Sisi reviewed Egypt's mediation efforts that led to the recent Gaza ceasefire, underscoring the need for full implementation of the agreement. President Lee praised Egypt's constructive regional role and Al-Sisi's diplomatic efforts in fostering conflict resolution. The conversation also touched on boosting Korean investments in Egypt, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence, information and communications technology, shipbuilding, and automobile manufacturing, with a focus on localisation and technology transfer. The two sides also discussed cooperation in education and higher education, including plans to establish a Korean university in Egypt. President Lee noted that Egypt was the first country to host a Korean cultural centre and announced plans to open two new centres in Cairo to promote Korean culture. He also congratulated Al-Sisi on the upcoming inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum. The two leaders concluded the call by exchanging congratulations on the qualification of both national football teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
