President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received on Tuesday Bahraini King Hamad bin Eissa al-Khalifa at the Presidential Palace of Ettihadiya, to tackle international and Arab matters facing the two countries, including the conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Palestine.
Informed sources said that the summit's attendees will mull bilateral, pressing regional and international issues, and aim to boost cooperation and coordination in addressing them. The two leaders will also sign agreements and memorandums of understanding, as well as launching programs to boost bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, media, and training for diplomatic and maritime navigation cadres. They will also discuss programs to stimulate tourism, culture and the organizing of exhibitions and conferences, among other projects.
In the field of agriculture, agreements will be signed for Egypt to receive Bahraini investments of 1.5 million feddans for agricultural projects. Several other agreements will be signed in the fields of energy and housing
The Bahraini Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashed al-Zayani, said that the king’s two-day visit to Egypt will foster bilateral ties between Egypt and the kingdom.
Several Bahraini businessmen have expressed their hope that the visit will achieve increased understanding and cooperation between the countries in different fields — especially in economics. They hope for a doubling in trade exchange between the two countries over the coming period, which did not exceed US$53 million in 2015.
Khaled al-Amin, member of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s board, praised the king’s visit to Egypt and his meeting with senior officials. He said that Egypt is an important economic partner for Bahrain and that Bahraini investments in Egypt reached up to US$1.7 billion.
On Sunday, Bahraini King Hamad bin Eissa al-Khalifa received a letter of friendship from Sisi, reiterating the historically strong bilateral ties linking the two peoples. Sisi's letter encouraged efforts to boost business and other links, and underlined the need for strong, friendly relations in light of ongoing regional tensions.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm and MENA
