President El-Sisi's statements were made during a press conference with his Singaporean counterpart at Al Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo on the start of his four-day state visit to the country.
During his speech at the joint press conference with his Singaporean counterpart after a round of talks, the Egyptian president said, "I discussed with President Tharman the critical turning point and exceptional circumstances the Middle East is going through, particularly with regard to the Palestinian issue."
"I discussed Egyptian efforts aimed at stopping the war in Gaza and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid in light of the worsening crisis the Palestinian people are suffering from as a result of brutal Israeli practices, especially in light of the expansion of military operations in the Gaza Strip."
The Egyptian president stressed that achieving just and comprehensive peace and stability in the region will not be possible without granting the Palestinians their legitimate rights and establishing their independent state along the 4 June 1967 borders.
He continued, "I saw great agreement with President Tharman on our vision for ways to end the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip."
The Egyptian President expressed his appreciation for the humanitarian aid provided by Singapore to the people of Gaza via Egypt, noting the challenges hindering the adequate delivery of this aid.
For his part, President Shanmugaratnam commended the vital role Egypt, under the leadership of President El-Sisi, has played in supporting regional stability and security.
President El-Sisi said Egypt is proud to be one of the first countries in the Arab region to recognize Singapore's independence in 1966.
He noted that President Shanmugaratnam's visit to Cairo represents a new step forward in the diplomatic relations that are about to complete their 60th anniversary.
The Egyptian president expressed his keenness to establish a joint economic partnership with Singapore in Africa and the Middle East, and his full support for increasing Singaporean investments in Cairo.
Economic cooperation
Both leaders also witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding in agriculture, health, maritime transport, social protection, support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, strengthening economic partnerships and training government personnel.
President El-Sisi highlighted the broad prospects for developing economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two nations, in light of Egypt’s diverse and attractive investment opportunities.
“We discussed ways to maximise investment and trade cooperation between Egypt and Singapore, which has witnessed significant progress in recent years,” he said.
He also underscored Egypt’s keenness to elevate these ties to higher levels that are commensurate with their distinguished political relations, as well as both nations’ potential.
President El-Sisi renewed his call to all public and private institutions and companies in Singapore to invest more in the Egyptian market, highlighting that Egypt offers an attractive investment environment.
“This allows us to establish a distinguished economic partnership that extends to the Middle East and Africa,” the president said, noting that Egypt is a natural gateway to establish qualitative partnerships with Singapore in investment and trade projects in many countries.
“We hope that the Egyptian-Singaporean Business Forum, which will be held in conjunction with this important visit, will achieve significant steps to raise trade and investment between both countries,” President El-Sisi emphasised during the presser.
In 2023, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from Singapore to Egypt reached $432.8 million, while FDI outflows from Egypt to Singapore amounted to $31 million, according to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
Additionally, Egypt's exports to Singapore totalled $240,432, while its imports from Singapore reached $236,186 in 2023, according to Trade Map.
According to the Egyptian presidency, both leaders also addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and boost cooperation in port management, digital transformation, and cultural sectors, as well as cooperation with Al-Azhar.
For his part, the Singaporean president commended Al-Azhar’s leading role in disseminating and teaching Islamic principles to Singaporean students.
During the talks, El-Sisi stressed Egypt's keenness to benefit from Singapore's expertise and capacity building in many areas, including maritime and air transport, information and communications technology, governance, environmental conservation, and renewable energy.
El-Sisi said that the Egyptian-Singaporean ties have proven to be strong and unique, driven by mutual respect, understanding, and consensus on many regional and international issues.
Shanmugaratnam praised Egypt's development boom and the promising investment opportunities it offers.
He extended an invitation to President El-Sisi to visit Singapore next year on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Earlier Saturday, President El-Sisi and First Lady Intisar El-Sisi received the Singaporean president and his spouse, Jane Yumiko Ittogi, who is on an official visit to Egypt.
Short link: