The ministerial meeting of the first session of the Joint Committee between the UAE and Egypt was held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE delegation was headed by Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, while Sahar Nasr, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, headed the Egyptian delegation.

At the start of the meeting, Al Hashimy welcomed Nasr and her delegation and delivered the greetings of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and his wishes of a pleasant stay in the UAE and constant success.

Al Hashimy stressed that the joint co-ordination and co-operation between the two countries in all regional and international issues have reached a prominent level, due to the unified visions and aspirations and common fate of the leadership of both countries.

This advanced level of co-ordination is based on the solid foundations of understanding and agreement between the two countries in order to face their challenges, most notably the spectre of terrorism and extremism, which pose a direct threat to both nations and their people, she added.

Al Hashimy renewed the commitment of the UAE to strongly and firmly standing with Egypt’s government and its people in standing up to brutal terrorism, which strives to compromise its security and national unity and supporting all the steps and decisions it takes in this regard.

She expressed her trust in Egypt’s ability based on its will, history, and wise leadership to destroy the challenge of terrorism. She also stressed the UAE’s pride in Egypt’s central role as an ally and a partner on all levels in fighting terrorism and extremism. She pointed out Egypt’s political, strategic and civilisational weight, which represents a main support point in the region.

Al Hashimy mentioned that the strength of the relations between the two countries reflected positively on all aspects, including economic, commercial and investment. She further praised the exceptional growth witnessed by the non-oil commercial exchange between both countries during the past six years, as it reached nearly US$4.8 billion in the year 2016 with a cumulative annual growth rate exceeding 13 percent.

The Minister of State for International Cooperation pointed out the noticeable growth in the size of UAE investments in Egypt. The UAE is one of the biggest countries internationally in terms of direct foreign investment in Egypt, with a total value of nearly $6 billion. She said that such economic accomplishments between the two countries open wider horizons for more bilateral co-operation in all fields related to tourism and business.

She said the UAE attaches great importance to developing relations with Egypt in development fields, adding that Egypt had topped UAE aid recipient countries for four years in a row.

She also noted that apart from political and economic fields, close cooperation between the two countries also covers other areas of mutual interest and the exchange of visits by leaderships of the two countries. She expressed the hope that this coordination will continue to serve the common interests, to help overcome regional and international challenges and to increase the two countries' contribution to the development, security and stability of the region.

Al Hashimy praised the officials and delegates for the efforts made during the meeting to further enhance cooperation in all fields. She emphasised the importance of implementing the recommendations made during the meeting, to realise aspirations of the two countries' leaderships and peoples.

The Egyptian minister said she and her accompanying delegation are pleased with the hospitality accorded to them in the UAE. She described the meeting as a historical step for the two countries towards strengthening ties of cooperation.