Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed means to enhance security cooperation to combat cross-border terrorism in Africa as he received Zambian foreign minister Joseph Malanji on Saturday.

El-Sisi and Malanji tackled the importance of exchanging information between their relevant institutions to eradicate cross-border terrorism within the framework of the continental efforts made in this regard, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

Malanji delivered a message to El-Sisi from Zambian President Edgar Lungu expressing Zambia's desire to develop relations with Egypt, boost bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of trade and the economy, and jointly work to confront African challenges. 

El-Sisi conveyed greetings to his Zambian counterpart and stressed the importance Egypt gives to means of enhancing relations with Zambia, especially in trade and investment, on the bilateral level and the level of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), as well as to enhance joint African work, to help achieve development and stability.

Head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel attended the meeting.

In October, Egypt assumed the month-long chairmanship of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council in charge of enforcing union decisions.

The chairmanship ended with the unanimous approval of the Cairo Roadmap, an Egyptian document outlining ways to reinforce UN peacekeeping on the continent, said the foreign ministry.

Egypt chaired the African Union in 2019.