Egypt to maximise cooperation with Türkiye

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, have discussed reviving bilateral relations between the two countries, according to an official statement on Saturday.

This came during the first visit by a Turkish Foreign Minister to Egypt in more than a decade, while the outcomes of discussions were announced in a joint press conference in Cairo.

The two ministers expressed interest in boosting bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of energy and sale of Egyptian liquefied natural gas to Türkiye.

Çavuşoğlu stated that “we are currently exporting gas to southeast Europe and Balkan countries. Therefore, Egyptian gas can be exported to third countries via Türkiye.”

Çavuşoğlu also confirmed the two sides agreed “to increase… diplomatic relations to the highest level.” Although the specific timeframe for reopening embassies was not announced, as he maintained that the process has been initiated.

“We also want to take solid steps to improve ties from energy and economy to military ties,” Çavuşoğlu added. Referring to the regional conflict pertaining to the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, it was suggested Türkiye might play the role of a mediator between the two sides.

Shoukry visited the quake-hit Adana following last month’s earthquake. The Foreign Minister’s visit to Türkiye was the first in 11 years. This visit paved the way for the ongoing process of restoring severed ties between the two countries.