In the framework of marking the 115th Anniversary of the diplomatic relations of Serbia and Egypt, in cooperation with partners from the Egyptian Council on Foreign Affairs, the Institute of International Politics and Economics (IIPE) organized a round table: “Egypt – through strong historical ties to a sustainable future and partnership”.
The event was addressed by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ivica Dačić and by video message by the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mr. Sameh Shoukry. Besides them, at the opening ceremony, remarks also had Ambassador of the Egypt to the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Mr. Bassel Salah Mustafa Ahmed, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, President of Foreign Policy Council ECFA, H. E. Minister Mohamed El-Orabi and Director of the Institute of International Politics and Economics, Prof. Branislav Đorđević.
The views of the two ministers on the importance of relations between the two countries were confirmed by H.E. El-Orabi in an interview with the daily “Politika”.
Eighth panelists spoke in two sessions, of which three were from the Egyptian Council on Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mohamed El-Orabi, Ambassador Dr. Abdel-Rahman Salahuddin and Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees. Serbian participants were former ambassador to Egypt, Mr. Dragan Bisenić, Dr. Slobodan Janković, Dr. Mitko Arnaudov, Dr. Danilo Babić and Nikola Marković M.A. all from the IIPE’s Centre for Neighbouring and Mediterranean Countries.
The participants dealt with history of bilateral relations from the episode of getting the embassy building in Zamalek to sending military missions in Sinai and data exchanges. They discussed previous and potentially new areas for cooperation, with concrete proposals regarding common production, regulation, organization and expansion of the trade. The position and place of Serbia and Egypt in the world were analyzed in the light of regional crisis and big power politics. Particular attention was focused on the perspectives of BRICS expansion.
Having this in mind the panelists underlined importance of the ideas of independence and freedom characterizing both peoples. This ideas mark the decisions of both nations in international relations.
