President Lee Jaemyung Holds 111-Minute Summit with President El-Sisi
Strengthening Cooperation in Economy, Defense, and Culture
Discussing Mutually Beneficial Defense Industry Cooperation
"K-9 Self-Propelled Howitzer Defense Cooperation, H
The leaders of South Korea and Egypt have agreed to jointly serve as "peace facilitators" on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. They also signed a joint declaration to pursue a Korea-Egypt Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as an institutional foundation to expand economic cooperation, and exchanged views on mutually beneficial cooperation in the defense industry.
President Lee Jaemyung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held a summit for 111 minutes at the Egyptian Presidential Palace on November 20 (local time). Following the summit, the two leaders issued a joint press statement, pledging to promote international peace, including on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, and to expand cooperation in defense, education, and culture. This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Egypt.
President Lee stated, "South Korea and Egypt have agreed to jointly contribute to international peace, including on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, as 'peace facilitators.' President El-Sisi fully supported our government's efforts to open a new era of peaceful coexistence and joint growth on the Korean Peninsula." He also highly praised Egypt's role in the ceasefire and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip and in promoting Middle East peace, adding, "We will continue to cooperate with Egypt to resolve the humanitarian crisis faced by refugees in Gaza."
The defense industry was also a key agenda item. President Lee introduced to President El-Sisi that Korean defense products are recognized worldwide for their excellence, saying, "I hope that our bilateral defense cooperation, exemplified by the joint production of the K-9 self-propelled howitzer, will further expand to include the FA-50 advanced trainer aircraft and the Cheongeom anti-tank missile." In response, President El-Sisi expressed trust in Korea's defense technology and hoped for mutually beneficial cooperation such as joint production.
Signing of Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Social Security Agreement... Expansion of Economic and Social Cooperation
The two leaders also announced that they have established an institutional foundation to expand cooperation in economic and social fields. President Lee explained, "Egypt is the largest manufacturing base in North Africa and a key hub connecting Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, while South Korea has extensive experience in successful development and is home to many global companies. Both countries share the view that there is great potential for economic cooperation between us."
On this basis, the two countries signed a joint declaration to pursue the Korea-Egypt Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. President Lee stated, "The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will serve as an important institutional foundation to support broad economic cooperation," adding, "I look forward to the prompt commencement of negotiations for the agreement between our two countries." They also agreed to promote exchanges and cooperation through economic free zones.
There was also progress in the social security sector, which is directly linked to the living conditions and rights of the people of both countries. The two countries concluded the "Korea-Egypt Social Security Agreement." President Lee explained, "We agreed to promptly conclude the agreement so that the people of both countries can enjoy tangible benefits."
Establishing a Partnership for Future Generations and Cultural Powerhouses through Education and Culture MOUs
In the field of education, the two leaders agreed to build a mutually beneficial partnership. President Lee said, "We deeply share the importance of education for sustainable social development and growth," and added, "President El-Sisi expressed great interest in how Korea achieved prosperity through education." On this occasion, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on educational cooperation, covering science education, Korean language education, vocational and technical education, and the digital transformation of education. President Lee stated, "I hope that by sharing our accumulated expertise and experience in education, both countries' educational environments will advance together."
In the cultural sector, the two countries also agreed to broaden the scope of cooperation as "cultural powerhouses." President Lee introduced, "Egypt is a leading country in cultural content in the Middle East, and at the same time, K-content such as K-dramas, K-pop, Korean cuisine, and the Korean language is extremely popular in Egypt." He added, "Both leaders agreed that cultural exchanges between the peoples of our two countries play an important role in developing bilateral relations."
Accordingly, the two countries signed a "Cultural Cooperation MOU" to expand exchanges in a wide range of fields, including audiovisual arts, performing arts, publishing, museums, and libraries. President Lee stated, "I hope that cultural exchanges that can be felt by the people of both countries will be further expanded, and that more Egyptians will have access to K-content."
Concluding the joint press statement, President Lee said, "We will faithfully implement follow-up measures so that the initiatives discussed by both countries can be tangibly felt by our peoples. I look forward to South Korea and Egypt advancing together as partners toward peace, prosperity, and cultural flourishing."
Earlier, before the summit, the Egyptian side held an official welcoming ceremony for President Lee, who visited Egypt as his first African destination since taking office, at the square in front of the Presidential Palace starting at 11:00 a.m. President Lee then began a one-on-one meeting with President El-Sisi at 11:11 a.m. This was followed by an expanded meeting with both countries' aides from 11:46 a.m. until 1:02 p.m.
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