CAIRO – Egypt and Singapore have a long history of fruitful co-operation in all aspects of development and tourism, the Singaporean Ambassador in Cairo said on Tuesday. Ambassador Tan Hung Seng said that over the years, these ties have been promoted to bolster bilateral economic and trade co-operation, which has achieved a set of concrete goals and strengthened Egyptian-Singaporean links in all domains. Ambassador Seng said that the two countries were keen to increase their annual trade volume which has reached $700 million now that Egyptian-Singaporean ties have every good potential to flourish and grow. "The two countries are set to bolster their cultural, trade, investment and tourism ties," he said during a special function celebrating the launching of a direct Cairo-Singapore flight. To mark this occasion, Singapore Airlines has started operating a new Boeing 777/200 aircraft that directly flies between the two capitals. "I am pleased to be here to celebrate this event. I have been waiting eagerly for this day, which reflects the confidence that Singapore Airlines have in Egypt's long-term tourism potential," Ambassador Seng said during the function that was held at Cairo Airport. Attending the event were Captain Sameh Hefny, the President of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority; Dr Ahmed Hafiz, the Chairman of the Cairo Airport Authority; Mr Casey Owyong, the Regional Vice President of Singapore Airlines. Ambassador Seng said that he is quite confident that tourists will return to Egypt once the right conditions have been restored. "As I have always told my friends in the (Egyptian) tourism industry, you have a wonderful product that practically sells itself. Egypt has history. Egypt has natural beauty and Egypt has a warm and hospitable people," he said, adding that Asia represents an exciting and flourishing market for Egyptian tourism. "As the centre of economic gravity shifts to Asia, the disposable incomes of Asian consumers have been rising significantly. Consequently, many will look beyond Asia for more exotic and exciting travel destinations. According to the International Air Transport Association, the Asia-Pacific is the largest market in the world for air travel..... Singapore Airlines is well-established as the air-bridge linking Asia and Egypt," he said. Ambassador Seng said that Singapore Airlines has constantly kept faith in Egypt since it first mounted flights to Cairo in 1984. "Unlike other carriers, Singapore Airlines did not stop flying to Cairo during the Gulf War and more recently during the events of 25th of January. I am certain that Singapore Airlines is proud to be the most established Asian carrier that has operated without any interruption to Egypt since 1984. And with this product, Singapore Airlines has reiterated its commitment to enhance Egypt's connectivity to Asia," he said. This commitment, Ambassador Seng continued, reflects the excellent relations between Egypt and Singapore. "This year, we mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Singapore Embassy in Cairo was among the very first overseas missions that we established after achieving independence 46 years ago. Over the year, we have cultivated close people-to-people links as well as deepened bilateral co-operation in diverse areas. "One area that I must highlight is the close relationship between our civil aviation authorities. Among other things, 119 Egyptian civil aviation officials have been trained at the Singapore Aviation Academy and Captain Hefny's presence today further underscores the goodwill and our win-win partnership in this field," he said.
