Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will make a three-day state visit to South Korea from the 7th to the 9th at the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung, the first such visit by an Egyptian leader since 2016. The meeting comes about 11 months after Lee traveled to Egypt last November, and is expected to serve as a turning point in elevating relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership.
Kang Yu-jung, senior spokesperson for the presidential office, disclosed the itinerary in a written briefing on the 6th. The two leaders will hold official events on the 8th, beginning with a welcoming ceremony and followed by a summit, a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding and a state luncheon.
The summit will focus on ways to expand economic cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure and supply chains. The two sides also plan to exchange views broadly on expanding people-to-people exchanges, the situation in the Middle East and Africa, and major international issues. Officials said the visit carries added weight because it comes as a reciprocal trip following Lee's visit to Egypt last year, making summit diplomacy between the two countries a two-way exchange.
Egypt is a logistics hub linking Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Anchored by the Suez Canal, it holds a strategic position in global maritime shipping, and it has broadened cooperation with South Korea in areas including the economy, culture and education since the two established diplomatic ties in 1995. The government regards Egypt as a key partner connecting South Korea with Africa and the Middle East.
The presidential office intends to use the state visit to lift bilateral relations a notch above their current level of friendly cooperation. "This state visit by President el-Sisi is expected to serve as an important opportunity to develop Korea-Egypt relations into a strategic partnership and to further strengthen cooperation between Korea and the Africa and Middle East regions," Kang said.
