Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, signs a guestbook during a ceremony at Singapore's national orchid garden to name an orchid in his honor, the Dendrobium Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, right, Monday, Aug. 31, 2015 (AP)
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi visited Singapore’s Botanic Gardens early on Monday to attend a local traditional event during which an orchid flower was named after him, the presidency has said.
The ceremony was located in Singapore’s 74 hectare tropical gardens -- a UNESCO World Heritage site -- that is the third largest in the world and the only tropical garden on the prestigious list.
The naming of orchid flowers after visiting foreign presidents and important global figures is a Singaporean tradition.
"The Egyptian President expressed appreciation and gratitude for the gesture and said that it reflects the strong bonds between the two countries," presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef was quoted as saying on state-run news agency MENA.
"This tradition also reflects the decency of Singapore and its people and shows the countries' environmental concerns."
Later on Monday, Sisi met with Singapore’s President Tony Tan in the country’s presidential palace, Istana.
Another meeting was held between the two country's delegations to discuss regional issues including the fight against terrorism, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations.
Sisi also met with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to explore ways to cooperate in the fields of energy, water, technical education, investment and maritime ports.
In an official statement, presidential spokesman Youssef said that Sisi’s visit to Singapore comes within the framework of his efforts to strengthen Egypt’s relations with the Asian country.
Youssef also added that Singapore has experience in various fields that Egypt is interested in such as the development and management of ports and the management of water resources, as well as improving public education.
From Singapore, Sisi will next travel to China to meet President Xi Jinping, followed by a visit to Indonesia to meet President Joko Widodo. Both visits are part of his Asian tour for cooperation that is expected to primarily focus on economic cooperation.
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