President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday stressed the importance of developing ties with Denmark, underlining readiness to offer all necessary facilities for Danish companies to operate in Egypt, particularly in the environment, new energy and green hydrogen domains.
This came in light of Egypt’s commitment to the outcomes of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) which it hosted in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh in November 2022, according to him.
Speaking at a press conference following his meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her accompanying delegation at El-Ittihadiya Palace, President Sisi said there is are great opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in light of Egypt’s geographic location, advanced infrastructure and the economic zone in the Suez Canal, a matter that could help shore up cooperation in the areas of maritime transport and shipping.
Sisi welcomed the Danish premier’s trip to Egypt, expressing his appreciation of the outcome of their plenary talks.
The talks focused on the importance of fostering relations between the two countries and the available investment opportunities in Egypt and the Suez Canal in the fields of maritime transport and shipping, said President Sisi during the presser.
The Danish prime minister’s visit coincides with the 65th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
During his talks with the Danish premier, President Sisi presented Egypt’s vision on human rights, saying that he makes it a point to do the same on every occasion that brings the Egyptian side together with its European friends.
Egypt’s vision in this matter depends on improving all aspects of people’s life in accordance with the standards set by international organizations working in the field of human rights, said President Sisi.
“The talks with the Danish prime minister dealt with special issues in our region and the importance of working together to find solutions to the issue of illegal migration,” President Sisi added.
“Since September 2016, Egypt always states in this regard that no boat or citizen has crossed the maritime or land borders of Egypt to Europe and this is a humanitarian commitment of Egypt and we are keen that Egypt will not be a passageway for illegal migrants to Europe,” Sisi made it clear.
He went on to say that “We also talked about Egypt hosting our brothers and sisters for ‘we do not call them refugees in Egypt’.”
Egypt officially hosts more than 6 million migrants and refugees, taking into consideration that Egypt did not receive any refugee host support or seek to receive anything to bear the onerous burdens of their stay in the country, Sisi further noted.
He added “Our brothers and sisters, who have fled conflicts in their countries to seek a safe haven in Egypt, live as citizens inside our country until conditions in their motherlands improve.”
“If we wish to completely solve the problem of illegal migration, it is necessary to resolve the crises in our region and restore stability to conflict-hit countries,” he said .
Speaking at the joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, President Sisi said that the talks took up the importance of finding a solution that could help restrict any irregular movement of people from Africa to Europe. He noted that doing so can be attained through helping Africa to realize a better future and a better life for its people via creating job opportunities and setting up projects in its countries.
Regarding global crises, President Sisi stressed the importance of finding quick solutions to them away from foreign interference in the countries’ internal affairs.
The talks also dealt wit the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the importance of reaching a solution that could help defuse the tension, taking into account its major impacts on the security and stability of the region and the whole world, President Sisi said.
Sisi further noted that during the Sharm El Sheikh Climate Change Conference (COP 27), he made an appeal to the whole world on the importance of ending this crisis to avoid its serious global repercussions.
Shifting to the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), President Sisi stressed the importance of reaching a legally binding agreement on the filling and operating of the dam.
The Egyptian state is doing its utmost to benefit from every drop of water, Sisi said, citing water treatment and recycling projects and seawater desalination plants the country is building on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
He concluded by welcoming the Danish premier and her accompanying delegation in Egypt.
