Egypt, Madagascar sign cooperation deals to deepen economic ties
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Madagascar’s President Michael Randrianirina oversaw the signing of several cooperation agreements on Wednesday aimed at expanding investment, infrastructure, and trade ties between the two African countries.
The agreements were signed during Randrianirina’s official visit to Egypt, the first by a Malagasy president since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1970, according to the Egyptian presidency.
Speaking at a joint press conference after bilateral talks, Sisi said the two countries would seek to strengthen economic cooperation by making greater use of their membership in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to boost trade and investment.
He said Egypt was ready to expand the role of its private sector in Madagascar and support development projects through Egyptian companies operating in renewable energy, water desalination, agriculture, healthcare, and infrastructure.
“As part of our efforts to strengthen the institutional framework for bilateral cooperation, we witnessed the signing today of several memorandums of understanding that will give fresh momentum to relations between our two countries,” Sisi said.
The two leaders also discussed ways to strengthen institutional cooperation, with Randrianirina saying Madagascar was studying the establishment of a resident embassy in Cairo to facilitate diplomatic, economic, and commercial relations.
Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Madagascar’s development efforts and expressed Cairo’s readiness to provide technical assistance and capacity-building programmes through Egyptian institutions.
The leaders also discussed climate change and called for greater international support for African countries facing its impacts. Randrianirina thanked Egypt for the humanitarian assistance it provided following the devastation caused by Cyclone Gezani.
The two presidents also exchanged views on regional and continental issues, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening African cooperation and coordinating positions on matters of mutual interest through regional and international forums, the presidency said.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English