By: Ashraf Sadek Cairo, March 29, 2018 - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has called on Thursday for stepped up defence co-operation between Egypt and Pakistan to fight terrorism and extremism. President Sisi made the call during his meeting with General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, who is on current visit to Cairo for talks with senior military officials including the Minister of Defence, General Sedki Sobhi. President Sisi affirmed that just military and security efforts would not suffice to tackle violent extremism and terrorism. President Sisi, who praised the genuine friendly ties between Egypt and Pakistan, said that the best way for combatting terrorism was to boost co-operation and draw up an international comprehensive strategy to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. President Sisi also said that combatting terrorism was a collective responsibility of all members of the international community. President Sisi called for further expanding and strengthening all aspects of Egyptian-Pakistani relations including defence and military training co-operation. "Egypt attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistanas there is a potential between the two countries to further enhance the partnership in diverse areas especially in the defence sector," President Sisi told Gen. Hayat . The Pakistani general has also underscored the need for reciprocal visits by delegations from armed forces of both countries to explore new avenues of mutual co-operation and collaboration. He also praised the mega-development projects that were being implemented in Egypt. Gen. Hayat said that his talks with President Sisi focused on the means of strengthening the military partnership between the two countries. During the talks, President Sisi and Gen. Hayat discussed a number of issues of mutual concern, including the challenge of terrorism where bi-lateral co-operation could be mutually beneficial.
