BELGRADE, Jan 22 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelatty underlined the importance of increasing investments between Egypt and Serbia.

He asserted the necessity of enhancing cooperation in the fields of agriculture, information technology, artificial intelligence, tourism, and civil aviation.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during a meeting he held with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić.

The two ministers then held a joint press conference.

Egypt and Serbia should work together to facilitate access of Egyptian and Serbian companies into each other's markets, he added.

He highlighted the importance of the periodical convocation of the joint Business Council and creating a regulatory framework allowing Egyptian laborers to work in Serbia in line with the needs of the Serbian labor market.

Abdelatty commended the historical relations between the two countries, particularly their roles in founding the Non-Aligned Movement.

He stated that his current visit to Serbia aims to build on the fruitful outcomes of two historical visits; one by the Egyptian President to Belgrade in July 2022 and another by the Serbian President to Cairo in July 2024, during which a free trade agreement was signed between the two countries.

He voiced hope that this agreement would contribute to boosting trade exchange between the two countries.

He highlighted the need to continue to exchange visits at all levels and activate cooperation frameworks and mechanisms between the two sides, especially political ones and the joint committee for economic, technical, and scientific cooperation.

Abdelatty said Egypt is looking forward to holding the 19th session of this committee in Cairo in the second half of 2025, highlighting the significance of these frameworks in promoting cooperation in the political, economic, commercial, agricultural, and tourism domains, as well as enhancing coordination in combating terrorism.

He commended the mutual support between both countries at international forums, including international nominations.

He congratulated Serbia for being selected to host the World Expo in 2027.

The two sides exchanged views on an array of regional and international issues of mutual interest, particularly the latest developments in Gaza.

The Serbian minister praised Egypt's pivotal role in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and expressed his country's readiness to coordinate and cooperate with Egypt regarding sending relief aid to the Palestinian people.

He noted that both Egypt and Serbia pursue policies based on respect for the international law, the United Nations Charter and state sovereignty.

The talks also tackled the situation in Syria and the importance of rallying up international efforts to realize stability across Syria.

The talks reviewed the latest developments in Libya, Sudan, Lebanon, and the Western Balkan region. (MENA)
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