YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi presided over the signing of a number of agreements and MoUs between the government ministries of the two countries on cooperation, particularly the MoU on Scientific and Technological Cooperation Between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, the MoU between the Investment Support Center of Armenia and Egypt’s General Authority for Investments and Free Zones, the MoU Between the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports on Cooperation in Physical Culture and Sport.

During their meeting, the Armenian President welcomed his Egyptian counterpart’s visit to Armenia and described it as an historic event.

“Welcoming his counterpart, President Khachaturyan said that the friendly people of Egypt were one of the first to give refuge to the thousands of Armenians who survived the atrocities of the genocide in the Ottoman Empire, and the Armenian people throughout the Diaspora will never forget the hospitality that was given to our compatriots. The President said that the Armenian community in Egypt has become one of the most important bridges linking our friendly countries,” the Presidential Office said in a press release.

The Armenian President attached importance to utilizing the potential of developing trade-economic ties between Armenia and Egypt in agriculture, technology and tourism.

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi thanked for the warm hospitality and attached importance to the need to advance the multilayered Armenian-Egyptian cooperation in the direction of trade-economic sector, as well as development of diplomatic relations. In his remarks, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that Egypt too has faced regional conflicts and is ready to invest efforts for the peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. “Till this day Egypt continues to witness various regional issues and conflict, and we must note a very important fact, that in the 70s of the previous century Egypt took the path of peace and faced a number of obstacles on that path…”

“…During our closed talks I stated that we have a neutral position in the issue of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and in this regard, if you accept our mediation and if you would like us to mediate or assume such a role, then we are ready ,” the Armenian President’s Office quoted the Egyptian President as saying.

The presidents discussed exchange of experience in agriculture and infrastructures, implementation of various investment programs, as well as overcoming obstacles for tourism developing, and in this regard addressed the possibilities for launching direct Yerevan-Cairo flights.

“We are happy to host you at the Presidential residence. This is a historic event. This is the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is visiting Armenia, and I thank you for that,” President Khachaturyan said during the enlarged meeting of the delegations after a one-on-one meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

“The President of Egypt presented the issues of his country and region, and I presented the issues of Armenia and the region. It’s no secret that Egypt is a superpower in its region and it is also known that it has vast experience in mediating mission, and most importantly it presents the interests of the peace agenda, it is like-minded in terms of living peacefully with neighbors, peaceful coexistence. And we are very much alike in this regard. The policy of the Republic of Armenia is to achieve peace in the region, and to live a peaceful and prosperous life with neighbors,” the Armenian President said.

President Khachaturyan said Armenia will need Egypt’s experience in establishing peace and stability in the region.

“I personally need the Egyptian president’s advice, because he has faced big challenges in his political and military past, he’s seen wars and achieved Egypt becoming a stable and developing country. I once again thank you for your visit. I am sure that our discussions today will be productive and will contribute to the development of our two countries,” President Khachaturyan said.

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he discussed with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan a number of international and regional issues of common interest, in the Middle East and South Caucasus. The two presidents confirmed the importance of dialogue, negotiation and sustained action to achieve permanent, comprehensive and just peace to complete the course of peace, to achieve a better reality and decent life for the peoples, particularly at present when the people’s suffering has doubled at the economic level, in light of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said during a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart.

President el-Sisi said he is confident that his visit to Armenia will represent a real starting point, by the political momentum gained and understanding shared at the summit level, to strengthen Egyptian-Armenian relations in various fields, particularly at the economic and investment level.

The Egyptian President expressed his country’s readiness to participate in implementation of infrastructure projects in Armenia.