Egypt s FM Sameh Shoukry in a press conference with Visgrad Group s Foreign Ministers in Budapest , Hungary on Monday (Photo : Egyptian Foreign Ministry )
Shoukry said at a press conference following the meeting that Egypt works both to limit the impact of irregular migration on importing countries in Europe as well as to help migrants against the dangers of human trafficking gangs or perilous sea voyages.
"Since 2016, Egypt has taken all the necessary measures to prevent the continuation of irregular migration," the Egyptian foreign minister said.
Earlier on Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Shoukry arrived in Budapest to participate in the Visegrad Group’s summit.
The Visegrad Group — comprised of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic — was formed in 1991 with the aim of having member countries work together in a “number of fields of common interest within the all-European integration,” according to the group’s website.
This is Egypt’s second participation in the group's meeting since the country became in 2017 the first Middle Eastern and African country to take part in the summit.
Shoukry said that Egypt currently hosts 5 to 6 million refugees and provides them with all the services received by Egyptian citizens, such as education and healthcare.
"The 5 to 6 million refugees that Egypt hosts exceed the population of some European countries," he said, adding that the support Egypt receives from abroad to deal with refugees does not meet what the country needs to face this challenge.
The Egyptian foreign minister also discussed a number of regional and international issues with his counterparts, including the situation in Afghanistan and the war on terrorism.
Shoukry also discussed boosting cooperation between Egypt and Visegrad Group members.
Earlier on Monday, Shoukry held a meeting with Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, where they discussed a number of regional and international issues and agreed to continue coordination between Egypt and Hungary.
Shoukry discussed with Szijjarto ways to boost bilateral relations, especially in the economic field and the energy sector.
The two foreign ministers also signed a number of contractual frameworks of cooperation.
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