The minister made the remarks during a ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, a number of ministers, ambassadors, and prominent public figures.
Australia booked their place in the World Cup's round of 32 on Thursday with a cagey 0-0 draw against Paraguay that delighted pragmatic coach Tony Popovic but left the South Americans with a nervous wait to see if they will advance.