Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Monday a number of regional issues of common interest with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in a meeting in Cairo on Monday, the Egyptian presidency said.

El-Sisi and Motegi discussed in their meeting the latest developments in the Middle East as well as the latest the developments concerning the situation in Afghanistan, the statement by the Egyptian presidency said.

The Japanese official expressed his country’s support for Egyptian efforts in countering terrorism and radical thought in the Middle East, as well as the Egyptian efforts concerning the Middle East peace process and the situation in Gaza.

Both the Egyptian president and the Japanese foreign minister agreed on the importance of reaching political solutions to the crises in the region.

They also both agreed on the necessity of continued consultation and coordination between Egypt and Japan in different fields and international forums, especially their joint efforts to prepare for the next Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which will be held in Tunisia in 2022.

During the meeting, Minister Motegi said that his country is looking forward to boosting its economic relations with Egypt and increasing Japanese investments in the country.

He also expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian president’s support of Japanese companies’ operations in Egypt.

The top Japanese diplomat also said that Japan is planning to boost its efforts in bilateral projects in Egypt especially in technology, energy and transportation, as well as in the Grand Egyptian Museum and Japanese-style schools in Egypt.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the Japanese ambassador to Cairo Noke Masaki attended the meeting.