Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan co-chaired the first meeting of the Egypt-Turkey Planning Group in Ankara. The meeting, held with the participation of senior officials from multiple ministries and relevant bodies of both countries, marks a significant step in strengthening the strategic cooperation between Egypt and Turkey.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Abdelatty highlighted the historical relations between the two nations and noted that his current visit to Turkey is his third this year, reflecting the growing momentum in bilateral ties. The minister expressed gratitude for the warm reception and acknowledged the reciprocal visits by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Cairo in February 2024 and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to Ankara in September of the same year. These visits have laid the groundwork for enhanced collaboration, following the reactivation of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and the signing of 15 memoranda of understanding in various political, economic, and cultural areas.
Abdelatty emphasized that the meeting is a crucial step toward transforming the directives of both countries' leaderships into tangible actions that promote bilateral cooperation. The discussions between senior officials covered potential collaboration in trade, investment, economic development, energy, mineral resources, transport, industry, education, tourism, communications, and information technology. The minister affirmed that the achievements to date provide a robust foundation for elevating bilateral relations to a full strategic partnership.
The foreign minister also noted that this group meeting serves as preparation for the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, scheduled for Cairo in 2026. He reiterated Egypt's political leadership's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Turkey across all sectors. Abdelatty highlighted the importance of continued coordination between the relevant ministries in both countries to ensure effective follow-up on agreements and to further advance cooperation.
He praised the depth of consultation and mutual understanding between Egypt and Turkey on various regional and international issues of interest. Abdelatty concluded by expressing Egypt's aspiration to maintain coordination with Turkey, contributing to stability, peace, and development in the region.