Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek said on Sunday that the Czech Republic is keen to maximise investments with Egypt in light of the positive developments in the Egyptian economy and the opportunities created by the large national projects.

His remarks came as he met with Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, during his visit to Cairo, a statement by the Egyptian presidency said.

Kulhánek expressed keenness to boost bilateral relations with Egypt as a main pillar of stability in the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions.

El-Sisi, in this regard, highlighted the importance Egypt attaches to cooperation with the Czech Republic within the framework of the Visegrád group (V4), which also includes Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, the statement read.

The president underlined Egypt’s willingness to develop relations between Egypt and this important regional group given that it includes friendly countries that share similar visions and priorities with Egypt, especially in the fields of combating illegal emigration and capacity building.

El-Sisi voiced keenness to continue coordinating stances with the Czech Republic on regional and international issues of mutual concern, the statement read.

The meeting tackled a number of issues, including Egyptian efforts to confront illegal emigration and terrorism, which have been hailed by international parties, including the European Union.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Czech Ambassador in Cairo Jan Fulík attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, especially localising industry and transferring technology. It also discussed cooperation in the security and military fields, as well as tourism.

According to the statement, Kulhánek praised the balanced framework the Egyptian government has adopted to deal with the implications of the coronavirus pandemic since it has started.

Kulhánek also held on Sunday a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart after a separate meeting, during which they discussed the situation in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, as well as the Palestinian cause.

The ministers, during the presser, focused on resuming the flow of Czech tourists to Egypt, given the preventive measures Egypt has adopted to ensure the safety of foreign visitors during the pandemic.

Kulhánek also said their talks addressed the Ethiopian dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), voicing full support for negotiations and international mediation to reach solutions on the issue.

Shoukry also discussed the GERD dispute with his Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, on Saturday. The Algerian FM said his country is keen that the three parties reach “satisfying solutions” that preserve their rights.

Sudan's Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, after an earlier meeting in Khartoum with Lamamra, hailed an Algerian call for the leaders of the three countries to hold a meeting to discuss solutions to the GERD dispute.