Staff report TASHKENT, Sept 5 , 2018 – President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who wrapped up an official two -day visit to Uzbekistan, has agreed with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on developing ties between Cairo and Tashkent in all domains with a special focus on bilateral trade and security sectors, an official communiqué said on Wednesday. The communiqué, issued after talks between Presidents Sisi and Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, said that the two leaders expressed keenness to elevate the Egyptian-Uzbek co-operation and intensify political consultations and coordination of stances between the two countries. The two leaders have held cordial talks during which they discussed all means of enhancing bilateral co-operation as well as exchanged views on a host of international issues of mutual concern, the communiqué added. Presidents Sisi and Mirziyoyev have also stressed the necessity of widening the scopes of political, commercial, economic, investment, scientific, technical, cultural and tourism co-operation between Cairo and Tashkent, it said. The two leaders have expressed keenness to hold high-level regular political consultations and bolster partnership between Egypt and Uzbekistan, the communiqué added. President Sisi, according to the communiqué, had expressed his admiration of the five-year development strategy, which Uzbekistan had launched in 2017 which included economic and political reforms. President Mirziyoyev commended the efforts of President Sisi to reform the Egyptian economy as well as his efforts in combatting terrorism and extremism, the communiqué added. On Asian issues, the two leaders have expressed their full backing for all the diplomatic efforts that are being exerting to restore peace to Afghanistan, it said. The two presidents have expressed willingness to help put into practice the Tashkent Declaration, which was issued after the convening of a two-day conference on Afghanistan in the Uzbek capital last March, according to the communiqué. The declaration called for bringing an end to the many years of violence and suffering of the Afghan people in order to ensure stability and prosperity in the region. The two leaders agreed that any disputes or conflicts could be resolved through political negotiations, peaceful initiatives and good offices in accordance with the already signed international agreements and the UN Charter. According to the communiqué, presidents Sisi and Mirziyoyev expressed concern over the present challenges such as international terrorism, religious extremism, illegal migration, drug trafficking, and organised crime, which posed serious threats to world peace and order. On these issues, the two presidents agreed to set an Egyptian-Uzbek working group to tackle security issues of bilateral concern. On bilateral trade, President Sisi, who invited President Mirziyoyev to pay an official visit to Cairo, said that Egypt was willing to export to Uzbekistan high quality pharmaceutical products, medical devices, carpets, petrochemicals, leather products, marble, ceramic tiles, and plastic products. In return, President Mirziyoyev affirmed to President Sisi that Uzbekistan was willing to export petrochemical, electrical and engineering products to Egypt, according to the communiqué. The Uzbek president stressed the availability of big opportunities and reserves to develop trade and economic relations between the two countries. The two presidents have agreed on the intensification of the Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Co-operation and the establishment of the Uzbek-Egyptian Business Council, the communiqué added. Uzbekistan was the last stop in President Sis's Asian tour that took him to China and the Kingdom of Bahrain. During his four-day visit to China, President Sisi held summit talks with President Xi Jinping and represented Egypt at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC). During their talks, President Sisi and President Xi agreed to jointly advance the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership for greater development in the new era. During his visit to Manama, President Sisi and the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa discussed regional and international issues of bilateral concern as well as ways of cementing ties between the two countries.
