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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan, during which they agreed to boost bilateral trade and spur Singaporean investment in the North African country.
During the meeting on Saturday, Sameh emphasised Egypt’s strong commitment to maximising the benefits for Singaporean companies from investment opportunities within Egypt, according to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry.
For his part, Balakrishnan expressed his country’s keenness to enhance trade exchange and Singaporean investments in Egypt.
He added that Singapore strives to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in the fields of renewable energy, agriculture, and tourism.
The two ministers also discussed the establishment of a joint business council aimed at bolstering cooperation between private sector representatives from both countries. They also addressed several regional and international issues of common interest, most notably the ongoing aggression in the Gaza Strip.
Both ministers underlined the need to advance efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire.
The two sides also discussed the Red Sea crisis, which poses serious threats to international navigation and shipping, the statement said.The Singaporean top diplomat stressed that the safe and sustainable flow of navigation through the Suez Canal is a supreme interest for his country.
Balakrishnan emphasised that the canal is “the ideal means of transporting his country’s private trade to Europe”. Opened in 1869, the famed Suez Canal is a man-made waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea.
The route helps expedite shipping between Europe and Asia through a shorter journey, as vessels do not have to circumnavigate the African continent. — Xinhua
