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A “new chapter” of Egyptian-Turkish relations: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan landed in Cairo for the first time since 2012 yesterday, “opening a new chapter between the two countries.” He joined President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for a meeting on all things cooperation, Gaza, and regional conflicts, after which they held a joint presser (watch, runtime:15:15).
More trade ahead: The two sides plan to boost the volume of trade between them to USD 15 bn over the next few years from USD 6.6 bn at the end of 2023, according to latest Capmas figures (pdf). They inked a joint declaration to resume cooperation in diplomacy, banking, energy, tourism, and defense, Bloomberg wrote.
On Gaza: Erdogan said his country is ready to work with Egypt to rebuild Gaza, without providing further details. The two leaders discussed the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and restore calm in the West Bank, “so as to pave the way for the resumption of the peace process at the earliest” chance, El Sisi said.
The situation in Libya was also on the agenda: El Sisi called for “strengthening consultations” between the two countries on the situation in Libya “with the objective of facilitating the convening of presidential and legislative elections and unifying the country’s military institution.”
Remember: The two sides have been working to mend a decade of tense relations triggered by a host of issues including Erdogan’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, competing interests in Libya, and tensions over gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. The two countries restored diplomatic ties and reappointed ambassadors last summer.
14-year-old Strategic Cooperation Council reinstated: The two leaders signed a joint declaration to restructure the high-level Strategic Cooperation Council meetings between the two countries. The two countries originally agreed to set up the council in 2010, in an agreement that was reached between the two countries’ foreign ministers at the time.
El Sisi will visit Turkey in April “to pursue efforts towards promoting Egyptian-Turkish relations across an array of fields,” he said at the end of his speech. The visit will also coincide with the council’s first meeting, Erdogan said .
The story got plenty of attention in the int’l press:Bloomberg | Reuters | Associated Press.
