This came during Rady's meeting with the Italian president Mattarella to present his credentials as Egypt's ambassador to Italy, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

For his part, the Italian president Mattarella praised El-Sisi's wise leadership, adding that "Egypt is the pivotal country in the Mediterranean region that has essential contributions within the framework of regional security as a whole," according to the statement.  

Rady, who served as a presidential  spokesman for almost five years, said that he received clear directives from President El-Sisi to work on boosting Egyptian-Italian ties and promoting cooperation.

He said he looks forward to enhance joint work and increase mutual visits at various levels, the statement added.

Rady also expressed hope that Egyptian-Italian relations will witness "more rapprochement and cooperation in all fields in a manner that is commensurate with the promising capabilities of the two countries and their historical relations, including joint political coordination on various regional issues."

Trade exchange on rise

Egypt's exports to Italy rose by 18.2 percent to record $3.4 billion in 2022, compared to $2.9 billion in 2021, according to data released on Wednesday by the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Egypt's imports from Italy also increased by 10.4 percent to record $3.5 billion in 2022, compared to $3.1 billion in 2021.

Trade exchange between both countries reached $6.9 billion in 2022, compared to $6 billion in 2021, an increase of 14.1 percent.

Italian investments in Egypt amounted to $645.7 million during the first quarter of the FY 2022/23, compared to $450.6 million during the same period of a year prior, an increase of 43.3 percent.