Text of President Sisi's speech during a press conference with the President of Madagascar
Ahmed Salem
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received President Michael Randrianireina, President of the Republic of Madagascar, today in the city of El Alamein.
Following the talks, the two presidents held a joint press conference. The following is the text of the president's speech:
It is my pleasure to welcome His Excellency the President of the Republic of Madagascar and the accompanying delegation to their second home, Egypt, on a visit of special importance, as it is the first official bilateral visit of the President of Madagascar to Egypt. This strengthens the historical and fraternal ties that unite our two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970, and also embodies our shared political will to elevate bilateral relations to broader horizons of cooperation and integration.
Constructive and fruitful bilateral talks between Egypt and Madagascar
Ladies and gentlemen, my brother President Mikael and I held constructive and fruitful bilateral talks, during which I reaffirmed Egypt’s unwavering position in support of the sisterly Republic of Madagascar during this delicate transitional phase.
I was keen to express our full support for the sincere national efforts made by the authorities in Madagascar to implement the “roadmap” and the restructuring process, and to meet the aspirations of the brotherly people of Madagascar.
From this standpoint, and based on our firm belief in the priority of solidarity among brothers, Egypt affirms its readiness to share its experiences and technical capabilities, especially in the field of institutional capacity building, with our brothers in Madagascar to support their efforts towards establishing the foundations of stability.
Seizing investment opportunities in both countries
During our discussions, we agreed on the need to build on the strengths of both countries, seize promising investment opportunities, and work to strengthen our economic and trade relations to address current regional and international challenges in a way that achieves common interests and contributes to the development and prosperity of our peoples, benefiting from our joint membership in the COMESA group.
In this regard, I expressed our pride in the role of the Egyptian private sector in Madagascar and its active contribution to strategic infrastructure projects, stressing the readiness of Egyptian companies to expand their involvement in the energy, water management and desalination, agriculture and health sectors to transfer the comprehensive Egyptian development experience to our brothers in Madagascar.
As part of our joint efforts to develop institutional work for bilateral cooperation, we witnessed today the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding, which represent a strong boost to the course of our bilateral relations.
Establishing a diplomatic representation for Madagascar in Cairo
In this context, I would like to welcome President Mikael’s decision to consider establishing a resident diplomatic representation of the Republic of Madagascar in Cairo, a step we highly appreciate as it confirms the sincere desire to strengthen the ongoing interaction between our two countries.
We also discussed several international and regional issues, and I sensed a convergence of views between the two countries… I also agreed with my brother the President to continue joint coordination to protect the security and stability of the countries of our African continent.
In the same context, my brother, His Excellency President “Mikael”, stressed the need for concerted international efforts to support African countries in dealing with the repercussions of the climate change phenomenon, in accordance with the unified African positions on this matter, and taking into account that Egypt and Madagascar are among the African countries most affected by it.
Egypt affirmed its full solidarity with Madagascar in facing environmental challenges, continuing the Egyptian approach of supporting its brothers, which was recently demonstrated in our support for Madagascar to overcome the effects left by Cyclone “Jezani”.
Ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, I reiterate my welcome to you in Egypt, and I wish the brotherly people of Madagascar all progress, prosperity and well-being, and I renew my aspiration to continue joint work and coordination for the good of our two countries and our dear African continent.
