Egypt is seeking to “deepen” its relationship with the Visegrád Four and is counting on Hungary to do that, says President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who is currently here for a V4 summit.
Sisi was pleased with the outcome of the Egypt- Visegrád Group Summit, which was held here Tuesday.
Egypt is looking forward to tangibly upgrading ties with the V4, now under the presidency of Hungary, Sisi said.
Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said that Sisi greatly appreciated what he called “growing cooperation” between Cairo and the V4 countries.
The president underscored shared views with the V4 regarding regional and international files, pressing for joint moves, particularly in the fields of energy security and regional security, Rady added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sisi met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who, likewise, expressed keenness on boosting coordination with Egypt, which he said is playing a pivotal role as a pillar of stability, security and peace in the Middle East and North Africa.
The meeting took up means of enhancing bilateral relations at all levels, Rady said.
He added that Orbán praised the development strides made in Egypt over the past few years.
Orbán told Sisi his country wants to maximize the volume of trade exchange with Egypt in a way that would achieve a quantum leap in terms of economic ties between the two sides, the presidential spokesman noted.
This could be done through the participation of Hungarian companies in the implementation of huge national projects in Egypt, Rady quoted the Hungarian premier as having said.
Sisi and Orbán also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, Rady added.
The Hungarian prime minister hailed as “positive” Egypt’s action to politically settle ongoing crises in its region, Rady said.
Figuring high at the talks was the Middle East peace process, with both Sisi and Orbán agreeing on the need to intensify international efforts to revive negotiations that would lead to a solution to the Palestinian problem based on international legitimacy resolutions, the spokesman said.
Sisi also posted Orbán on the latest developments concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, especially in light of a recent UN Security Council statement that urged all parties to act to reach a legally binding agreement about the filling and operation of the dam within a short time – one that takes into consideration the common interests of all sides, Rady added.