New Egyptian govt promises to strengthen bilateral co-operation

meeting that will see several economic, political and cultural agreements being signed.
President Morsi landed the Egyptian presidency last month following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring.
In an interview yesterday ahead of today’s commemoration of Egypt’s 1952 Revolution, that country’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Bassem Khalil, said Egypt was charting a new foreign policy.
The policy hinges on the enhancement of co-operation with other African countries such as Zimbabwe.
“We expect to hold a joint commission meeting headed by Foreign Affairs Ministers from Zimbabwe and Egypt in Harare in November this year. The JC meeting has not been held for quite a long time. It was last held in 1991,” Ambassador Khalil said.
Zimbabwe and Egypt enjoy cordial relations.
Mr Khalil said the JC would see the signing of several new agreements.
“We want to enhance and protect relations in all spheres. There would be several new agreements signed. We will sign economic agreements, diplomatic agreements and cultural agreements, among others,” he said.
The economic agreements, explained Mr Khalil, would include promotion of trade between Cairo and Harare, while expertise would be exchanged in the tourism sector.
Zimbabwe and Egypt are both members of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
“On diplomatic co-operation, we seek to exempt holders of diplomatic and service passports in both countries from obtaining visas,” Mr Khalil said.
He said Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and his Egyptian counterpart met in May during the Non-Aligned Movement meeting held in Sharm el-Sheik and agreed that the JC should be held before the end of this year.
“The holding of the joint commission is a big step forward in relations between the two countries,” Mr Khalil said.
The envoy said there was great potential to boost intra-Africa trade and bemoaned the current levels of co-operation on the continent.
A number of factors have hindered trade on the continent, among them poor infrastructure, custom regulations, production of similar goods for export and the tendency by African countries to favour trade with former colonisers.
Ambassador Khalil said Egypt was moving towards peace and stability after experiencing violence during demonstrations that ousted President Mubarak.
The Egyptian embassy is commemorating the 1952 revolution in Harare today.