CAIRO, Feb 21 (MENA) - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Ambassador Abu Bakr Hafny Mahmoud had talks with South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Tandi Moraka, during which they asserted the keenness of the political will of the two countries to elevate bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.

The Egyptian diplomat's remarks were made during his meeting with Moraka, in presence of Egyptian Ambassador in Pretoria Ahmed Sherif, on the sidelines of his participation in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on behalf of Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

During the meeting, the deputy foreign minister offered Egypt's condolences on the death of South African peacekeepers in the recent events in eastern Congo.

The two sides also hoped that the current crisis in the region will end through dialogue led by both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in coordination with the African Union (AU).

The talks also dealt with the ongoing efforts to implement and maintain the Gaza ceasefire, reach a just solution to the Palestinian issue, and establish an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borderlines, with Al Quds (occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.

They also discussed the G20 agenda during the South African presidency, particularly after reforming the international multilateral system and the system of international financial institutions with the view to achieving the goals of sustainable development and a just and inclusive energy transition.

They expressed their keenness on accelerating the procedures for launching the joint Egyptian-South African Business Council that will support the institutional involvement of the private sector in beefing up trade and investment exchange between the two countries, particularly under the umbrella of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

Egypt's participation in the G20 foreign ministers' meetings comes within the framework of the invitation extended by South Africa to Egypt to participate as a guest in various G20 activities, under the umbrella of South Africa's presidency of the group that started in December 2024 and will run till November 2025.

The joint committee of the two countries held its 10th session in April 2024, and the two sides have agreed on holding the next session in 2026. (MENA)
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