BY ELENA KOSOLAPOVA
AZERI OBSERVER STAFF WRITER
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Baku hosted a celebration of the 71st Anniversary of the National Day of the Arab Republic of Egypt, which coincides with the day of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Speaking at the event organized by the Egyptian Embassy, Ambassador Hisham Nagy noted that the revolution of 1952, brought about significant changes not only in Egypt but also across the Arab world and beyond.
“Domestically, it instilled a sense of Egyptian patriotism and introduced reforms that allowed Egyptians to own land, access free education and healthcare, and fostered rapid industrialization and socio-economic development. The revolution also positioned Egypt as a regional leader in the Arab world and its impact extended beyond borders, inspiring independence movements in Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” the Ambassador said.
Speaking about Azerbaijan-Egypt cooperation, Mr. Hisham Nagy noted that the two countries share a long history of friendly relations, and the two nations are connected by mutual respect and kinship.
“I sincerely hope that the relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue to grow and flourish,” he said.
The Ambassador reminded that Egypt had been among the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, and last year, the 30th anniversary of establishing bilateral diplomatic relations was celebrated.
“At the beginning of this year, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited Baku, which marked a significant milestone in the development of our bilateral relations. The visit led to fruitful discussions between President El-Sisi and President Ilham Aliyev on strengthening cooperation in various sectors, given the immense potential and opportunities for collaboration between our two countries,” the Ambassador said.
This year has witnessed further developments in our bilateral relations; the Chair of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Mrs. Sahiba Gafarova visited Cairo in February, and Speaker of the Egyptian House Representative, Dr. Hanafy Ali Gebaly paid a visit to Baku in May to participate in a special celebration dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.
“I would like also to seize this opportunity to congratulate Azerbaijan on the 100th anniversary of former president Heydar Aliyev, the great national leader who achieved remarkable accomplishments for his country. Egypt highly appreciates his legacy, which is being continued by President Ilham Aliyev,” the Ambassador said.
The head of the Egyptian diplomatic mission also congratulated Azerbaijan on its successful presidency in the Non-Aligned Movement and commended its efforts to reinforce the Movement.
“Egypt has always believed in addressing global challenges by tackling the root causes of conflicts and terrorism and working towards global peace, security, and sustainable development. Azerbaijan shares our commitment to economic prosperity, social stability, and achieving global peace and security. We stand firmly in support of each other’s efforts to achieve economic development and social progress in accordance with our national conditions,” Mr. Hisham Nagy said.
From the Azerbaijani side, Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev delivered a speech at the event. He noted that last year, an Azerbaijani-Egyptian business forum was organized, and such initiatives contribute to the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two states. As a result, in the first half of 2023, trade between Azerbaijan and Egypt increased by 10% compared to the same period of the last year. According to the Minister, for 2024, the next meeting of the Azerbaijan- Egypt Joint Intergovernmental Commission is scheduled. It will discuss expanding cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, energy and healthcare.
