President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, called on President Tony Tan Keng Yam and met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, following the Welcome Ceremony at the Istana today.
President Al Sisi and our leaders affirmed the historical friendship between Singapore and Egypt as we look forward to commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2016. President Tan noted that Egypt was the first Arab state to recognise Singapore’s independence and Singapore had established one of its first embassies in Cairo. President Tan highlighted that people-to-people ties have grown steadily over the decades with many Singaporeans studying at Al Azhar University. President Tan congratulated President Al Sisi on the successful completion of the expanded Suez Canal project in one year. He welcomed more cooperation with Egypt in areas of water resource management, education and port management.
Prime Minister Lee noted that many leaders of Singapore’s Muslim community were alumni of Al Azhar University. Welcoming President Al Sisi’s call for a firm stance against religious extremism, Prime Minister Lee said that Singapore and Egypt should work together to counter extremism by exchanging experiences in promoting inter-faith dialogue and religious harmony, and enhancing information sharing. He agreed with President Al Sisi that this was a serious challenge affecting many countries.
President Al Sisi attended a roundtable lunch with business leaders jointly organised by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, International Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Business Federation, where he highlighted business opportunities in Egypt, including the next phase of the Suez Canal re-development plan.
Earlier today, President Al Sisi attended an Orchid Naming Ceremony at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, where an orchid, Dendrobium Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, was named after him.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
31 AUGUST 2015